The Importance of Exercise Scheduling

Nathan, our fitness expert, knows we all need to make a little time to exercise.

It is far too easy in our modern lives to say we'll do things 'when we're free'. But in reality, how many of us really have any free time anymore? Almost all of it is now filled with scrolling down streams of social media timelines or staring mindlessly at a television. I wonder how many hours we all spend a week indulging in this grossly, on the most part, completely unrewarding and wasteful use of our 'free time'. Wouldn't it be far more rewarding to fill more of our free time with something that was going to make us look and feel better?

The problem is it requires effort, and when it comes down to it, even the best of us with all good intentions aside, succumb to the easier option. Scheduling when you exercise is crucial for making sure you do it. Start small. Why not book out 15mins every other day in the diary to take a brisk walk, book into your local Pilates class, build up to those daily epic gym sessions?

Once booked they must be carried out. Before long they will become habit, a non-negotiable essential part of your week just like they should be! Life is short and time is precious. Let's waste less of it and invest more of it into our health, both mental and physical. I promise you, you won't regret it. The happier, fitter and healthier future you will thank you and me later.

Nathan is a Personal Trainer in Essex sponsored by MyProtein. You can follow him for more easy health tips on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Yup, that's me in my pants: getting the skinny on it

I had to leave. The photo was in 20 minutes. There was no time left to change my mind. As I pulled on a t-shirt, I knew I’d made one choice correctly. Whether or not the underwear was right, I was (as my nephew would say) wearing my best Mickey Mouse t-shirt.

It didn’t stay on for long. Soon I was standing in a deserted daytime Heaven (the London gay club, not the afterlife) being photographed in my aussieBum briefs, all for Attitude magazine’s Real Bodies feature. I was living the gay cliché.

Photo by Chris Jepson for Attitude

How did this happen? Back in April, I saw a tweet, responded and got the confirmation email all within an hour. That was the simple part. Only then did I ask myself why I wanted to be near-naked on the newsstands.

Here’s some of the reasons. I’m still working out the rest.

I like my legs. I spent a few days asking friends and agonising what to wear, worrying what my brand and style would say about me. It came down to some Team GB boxers from Next or the skimpy black aussieBum briefs. Standing at the mirror, I thought my legs were too good to hide away in boxers.

I wanted to show anyone can look good in a pair of aussieBums. It’s a brand sold by the toned, tanned boys of Bondi Beach and the tagline ‘If you doubt yourself, wear something else’. I don’t look like that, but I still look hot (thanks in part to Chris Jepson putting me at ease and being a great photographer).

I’m ready to date. Maybe, just maybe, someone will see the feature, look me up on Twitter and invite me out. Although that’s scuppered a bit by the mistaken quote next to my photo saying I took part as ‘my boyfriend’ was doing it too. I don’t have a boyfriend. Yet. (Chris at the magazine has apologised for the error).

I own my body and I own the image too. Matthew Todd introduced Real Bodies and other reader pages when he was editor of Attitude. His comprehensive new book Straight Jacket speaks a lot of common sense about issues in a gay scene dominated by alcohol, body image and sex. That means most gay guys meet and mix in a super-charged, not community environment. This isn’t a photo for Grindr. This is a photo of me, for me.

How I look isn’t the biggest issue in my life. One question I answered was ‘do you manscape?’ Perhaps I sound a bit arrogant in my reply: ‘I’ve got far too many friends to see, books to read and too much laundry to do to spend time with that.’

Knowing I’m generally happy with how I look without shaving off my beard or elsewhere is more important than sculpting my body just to fit a gay body ideal. Body image is a big issue for everyone. I do struggle with it, but I’m fortunate I can usually put it aside and get on with other parts of life.

I’m incredibly proud and happy to see that page and a half all about my body. The words and the space dedicated to an ordinary guy are far more important than the photo of me and, yes, even more important than if it gets me any new Twitter followers.

So when you’re in WHSmith this month, do buy a copy of Attitude, and flick to page 104. You won’t miss the cover. It shows the 49 beautiful faces of those shot dead last month at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.

Digital and print versions of August’s Attitude magazine are available to buy online and in newsagents now.

Three motivations of a bodybuilder

Nathan, our resident fitness man, shares what motivated him to prepare and compete as a bodybuilder earlier this year.

So far this year has been extremely busy for me! With the birth of my baby daughter on Christmas Day last year and the start of some new business ventures you would think I had enough on my plate. However, after winning on my bodybuilding debut last May, I'd been bitten by the bug and wanted to get back on stage again!

Competing in a bodybuilding or physique competition requires a long and extremely strict dieting phase, lots of cardio and a lot of intense weight training. This is to reduce body fat as much as possible whilst maintaining muscle mass. It's physically hard and extremely mentally challenging. Exhaustion, extreme hunger and bad moods are all part and parcel of the process, not to mention the extra time that needs to be dedicated to meticulously preparing meals and training in the gym. It's all-consuming and easy to give up.

Nathan with his 2015 1st place trophy

I want to share with you the three factors that kept me motivated during my prep:

Passion
This is the only 'selfish' reason I have for competing. It's not possible to complete a successful competition prep without it. I have a huge passion for training, the way it makes me feel and the self satisfaction I get from accomplishing my goals. I absolutely love that sense of achievement and empowerment.

Business

I'm a personal trainer. My accomplishments, image and knowledge all help promote myself and my work. With a recent supplement sponsorship and the launch of some new online business ventures it was important to me to 'prove my worth' and increase my profile and credibility in a very competitive industry.

 

Family

I really want to be someone that my family can be proud of. It's important for me to show my children that anything is possible if you want it enough and you work hard enough for it. It was also important for me to prove to myself that I could complete this prep with a good element of balance. Competition prep can very easily take over your whole life. It happened to some degree when I competed last year, so I wanted to maintain a good prep/life balance this time around.

These three motivating factors helped push me through the toughest and darkest days of prep, and despite a last minute decision to change the category I was competing in, I managed to take first place and win!

Nathan with his 1st place trophy in May

I try to apply this same way of thinking to other aspects of life. Focus on what you want to achieve, set your goal, put into motion a plan of action and use sources of inspiration to motivate you. With dedication and hard work, anything is achievable!

Nathan is a Personal Trainer in Essex sponsored by MyProtein. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

'Everyone has an amazing future ahead of them': Scott McGlynn

Scott McGlynn is a celebrity blogger from South Wales. In the short memoir, Out, he writes about growing up and learning to celebrate his identity and sexuality. It's a story that will resonate with anyone who's experienced bullying, teasing or self-doubt.

One small part of Scott's story is almost identical to mine. I too looked up 'gay' in the dictionary after hearing it as a slur against me on the school playground. Except the dictionary I used was quite an old one, and defined gay as being happy. What a beautifully poetic truth that's turned out to be.

I asked Scott more about the book and the message he hopes people will take from it.

Why did you want to write your book?

I always enjoyed writing and love blogging on my own site. Someone suggested I write a book and I knew it was the perfect time to help others going through coming out and getting bullied.

How does your book differ from others about including coming out?
Everyone has a different story to share. Everyone is different. Mine is a story anyone can relate to for being bullied, whether it's for being gay, hair colour, size.

What's your top tip for anyone inspired to write their story?
If you're writing a book about your life be honest and go into detail. People say 'it must be hard to write about what happened to you for the world to see'. It was emotional bringing up memories from the past, but I knew it would help and support others.

In your book, you say you didn't report school bullies as that would only give them more power. Do you think action on bullying in schools is better now?
I hope so! A lot of young people get cyberbullied now through social media, which wasn't part of the problem back in my day. It's upsetting to me that people sit behind a computer just making comments about other people.

What impact do you hope the book will have?
I want to let people know if you're getting bullied or you're going to come out, everything will be ok! Everyone has an amazing future ahead of them. You have an amazing future. Don't allow people put you down!

The book ends with your engagement. Congratulations! How is your future looking?
Thank you! My finance and I are slowly planning our wedding and have the same ideas for it which is great! We'll be getting married very soon. Until then, I'm busy touring and talking about the book.

Out is available to download and buy now from Amazon. You can follow Scott on Twitter @ScottyMcGlynn.

Looking for another great book to read? Check out my suggestions from 'My Gay Bookshelf'.

Will Matt be King of the Peaks?

Later this month, Matt King from Essex will be taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. It’s a race against the clock to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland, Helvellyn in England and Snowden in Wales all in 24 hours. I found out more about Matt's motivation for such a big challenge and how he's been preparing.

Why are you doing the Three Peaks Challenge?

Giving to charity is a big deal. I don't think enough of us realise how good we've got I, so I’m climbing the Three Peaks to support The Sailors' Society. It’s going to be a life changing challenge. I wanted to push myself to change my lifestyle and some bad habits I have.

Who are you climbing the peaks with?

My colleagues Ellis and Lauren are also taking part and will be key to me actually making it through the day. We'll probably want to throw each other off of the mountains at some point, but their support is going to be essential. Right now, the encouragement and generousity of my friends and family is also the only thing keeping me sane.

Have you been preparing for the hike?

Yes, but probably not as much as I should have been! We’ve stepped up training over the last few weeks, walking up and down the famous Leigh cliff steps during our lunch break and going on longer walks. I've also cut down my smoking which has been tough for me. My goal is to quit before the climb.

What will be the highs and lows of the day?

The muscle pain and fatigue is going to be the worst thing. Three mountains in 24 hours is a stretch for a hiker, let alone me who’s never hiked a mole hill. But I can't wait to get to the top of each mountain and feel an inevitable sense of achievement. Descending Helvellyn as the sun rises will be a moment I'll never to forget.

Which peak will be your favourite to climb?

Ben Nevis will the most fun, because it’s the first and we've got a strategy in place to give ourselves a strong start. It's a race at the end of the day! Helvellyn will be amazing because we're doing it in the dark and Snowdon to finish will probably be the hardest, but most rewarding. Each have their pros and cons.

Lauren, Matt and Ellis

Why are you supporting The Sailors' Society?

The Sailor's Society help seafarers across the globe, by providing financial, spiritual or physical aid. The money we raise will help communities in the Philippines who are still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan that hit the islands in 2013. They're building homes, fishing boats and medical so the islands are better prepared for any future disasters.

Spinnaker Global where I work is a recruitment for firm for the seafaring industry and it’s great to support a cause so close to our work. We’ve had small fundraisers like bake sales and Woolley Hat Day in the office, to bigger events like abseiling down the Broadgate Tower last year. But the Three Peaks is definitely our biggest challenge so far!

  

It’s definitely a very physical challenge. Have you always been an active person?

Yes, but what I do has changed over time. In primary school I was playing football and horse riding, then I was sprinting and long jumping at secondary school. I kind of lost playing sport when I was at uni in Brighton but was still walking everywhere. Now I’m living back in Essex and go to the gym, doing plyometrictraining, spin classes and swimming. It just makes me feel better about myself, physically and mentally.

What challenge might you do next?

I'd like to do a marathon, but I hate jogging so that might not be for me! If I enjoy the Three Peaks, another hike outside of the UK could be really interesting.

What's your top tip for a gym novice?

Just know that everyone else is there for the same reason you are. Everyone is looking to improve an aspect of themselves, whether it’s cardiovascular fitness or losing weight. I still have to tell myself that people aren't watching me work out and judging me for not being able to lift as much or run as long as them. The initial fear of judgement worries people, but everyone is there to improve.

Matt, Ellis and Lauren will be taking on the Three Peaks on Friday 17th June. You can sponsor them as they raise £5500 for The Sailors’ Society on their JustGiving page.

'Grayson Perry: All Man' Review

There’s a big ‘no man’s land’ in British masculinity. In ‘Grayson Perry: All Man,’ the acclaimed artist treads some of that vast area, to meet men and create artwork that reflects their identity. He journeys alongside the communities of a mining town in County Durham, a housing estate in Preston and the financial City of London. The conclusion in the third and final episode seems somewhat inevitable: ‘Men need to look to the future, like feminists have been doing for decades’.

Rewind to the start and the series opens with timeless image, as Perry stands ringside at a cage fight. Moments later the violence Alex shows as a fighter is replaced by his martyrdom image, wrapped up in a towelling sarcophagus to sweat out the pounds ahead of a weigh in. Perry observes, learns and eases himself into the ritual and continues with the same sensitivity for the places and people he meets throughout the show.

Grayson Perry talking to cage fighters

It’s the self-realisation on camera that makes for an intriguing watch. The first two episodes focus on areas that show the male identity is in crisis: suicide and crime. He meets Thelma, whose son Daniel died from suicide aged 30. ‘Sometimes I think men don’t even know when they are sad’ comments Perry, a sentiment echoed by Daniel’s friends in the pub. Seeing their response and gratitude for the ceramic pot Perry made, inspired by Daniel and the community, is a joy to watch as creator and subject share the art together.

Yet it was the final episode, following men of the City that most captivated me. It started on the traditional noisy trading floor of London Metal Exchange, before showing a more modern City at work. The transactions, trading and technology are quicker, and the buildings shinier but the aggressive male identity hadn’t changed. As one ex-wife said, the ‘sensitive masculinity’ of the City men today was just a slick veil over the same power and aggression.

'Object in Foreground' (2016) by Grayson Perry

This led Perry to create the most controversial work of the series: a giant ceramic cock. And the bankers didn’t like it. While the mining and estate communities engaged with the art created for them, and used it to reflect and open themselves up for exploration, the City workers rejected it and defended themselves. ‘You haven’t been derailed from what you wanted to see’ said one. ‘That’s because I haven’t been derailed’ replied Perry. Perhaps there isn’t the same male crisis in the City. But the continued inequality of financial growth shows something’s not right.

No other artist could front such a beautifully shot documentary, and it’s given me a taste to watch Perry’s previous series for Channel 4. The portraits created doesn’t speak for every man, and the overarching generalisation of male aggression and one-upmanship didn’t resonate with me. But the need to look to the future, to see the old communities and old masculinity aren’t totally working now, is a message for everyone to answer.

You can watch all three episodes on All4.

The Facts of My Life: Bongo Ben and CJ Sax

This weekend, We Are Fstvl returns to Upminster with 50,000 dance music fans enjoying headliners Fatboy Slim and Steve Angello. LoveJuice will be there too with their usual mix of international DJs and live musicians, creating what you might call an 'augmented club music 3D' sound.

I caught up with LoveJuice regulars Bongo Ben and CJ Sax who finished their own UK club tour last month. They've perform everywhere from their hometowns in Essex and the London Olympics to Ibiza and Dubai. Here’s the facts of their lives.

Bongo Ben

My bongos bring so much more than just a sound. They keep me grounded and focussed on my goals. Without them I wouldn't be able to perform and do everything else that comes with it.

When I first got into percussion I had no music background or experience.  I was a small time promoter, saw a percussionist playing in a local club and straight away loved the sound I heard. A week later I bought a pair of cheap bongos and started practising. A drummer friend of mine gave me a few pointers to get started and also my first booking in early 2010.

You’re only going to get where you want through sacrifices and compromises. I was in a boring, poorly paid 9 to 5 job for a bank but I settled for it to work in the club industry at weekends. I was playing for no fee in order to get my name out there. Every musician has to make sacrifices and compromises throughout their career. You just have to weigh up whether the end result will be worthwhile.

My job is to lay down my creativity to compliment the DJ and bring that extra energy. It’s unique as nearly every party is different, with different genres. You play off the DJ and the crowd’s atmosphere. There’s not many jobs you can define like that.

I most admire percussionists Shovell and Pav. I’ve always been a fan of M people, which Shovell was a part of. Saxophonist Lovely Laura is also fantastic, for her humbleness and professionalism as much as her music.

My parents are my role models. They’re both very different. I’ve tried to take each of their strongest attributes and use them for myself in work and everyday life. The patience and support of my Mum and Dad, my fiancé and everyone else around me has let me make the most of each opportunity.

CJ Sax is the younger brother I never had. We bicker, banter and embarrass each other but when it comes to a gig we will bounce off each other and combine our sets to make the best atmosphere possible. It’s not about knowing when or how to play during a set, it’s about knowing when not to play.

Be humble, be kind and associate yourself with people from all walks of life. Appreciate those that are different from you as you will always learn something.

The harder you work, the luckier you will get.

Follow Ben on Twitter and Facebook

CJ Sax

‘Do better than yesterday, everyday’. It’s not all pool parties and international flights. I was practising for three hours a day after school for my grade 8 saxophone exam. Working hard at my trade is still essential now.

Keep active and keep busy. The more productive you are in the day, the less time you have to worry about stress and other problems. I play football to stay fit and see my friends. Some people think my weekend schedule is too busy to do that as well as performing but I catch up on my sleep during the week.

My role model is Spurs legend Ledley King. He had career-preventing injuries and still managed to play top-flight football every week without training.

I ran the London Marathon for my Dad, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Our relationship has inspired me to live my life as best I can, take the opportunities I'm given, always be grateful and not stress over life’s small problems.

The health and happiness of the ones you love is all that matters. Trust in the path God has given you. Everything has a purpose and grows you as a character. It's not always easy to see, but will be clear in the long run.

Do a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.

Follow CJ on Twitter and Facebook