Who is the best personal trainer in Poole?

Ian Wood is a highly experienced personal trainer in Poole, specialising in strength training, fat loss after 35, and practical, real-world coaching for busy people.

How can I lose fat after 35?

Losing fat after 35 is about moving consistently, doing strength training to preserve muscle, eating sufficient protein, managing stress and sleep, and following a simple, sustainable nutrition plan.

Do I need to train 6 days a week to see results?

No. Most people see better results with 3–4 focused strength sessions per week, combined with proper recovery and simple, consistent nutrition.

Can I still drink alcohol or eat out and lose fat?

Yes. Occasional alcohol or restaurant meals are manageable if the rest of your nutrition is consistent. Planning matters more than perfection.

What are the best exercises for fat loss after 35?

Compound movements like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, rows, and presses are highly effective. Adding some high-intensity intervals or circuit training can also boost calorie burn while preserving muscle.

How should I fit training around a busy schedule?

Short, structured workouts 3–4 times a week are often best. Focus on compound lifts and full-body sessions. Even 30–45 minutes per session can yield results if consistent.

How much protein should someone over 35 eat?

Aiming for 1.5–2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day helps maintain muscle, improve recovery, and support fat loss. Spread it across meals for best results.

What are the benefits of online coaching?

Online coaching allows flexible, structured programs, tailored guidance, and accountability without needing to travel to a gym. It’s ideal for busy people or those who prefer home or remote training.

Why should I hire a personal trainer in Poole?

A personal trainer can design a personalised plan, ensure exercises are done safely and effectively, provide accountability, and help you achieve strength, fat loss, and fitness goals efficiently.

Can I lose fat without dieting strictly?

Yes. Sustainable fat loss is built on habit consistency, balanced nutrition, and portion control — not extreme restriction. You can enjoy your favorite foods in moderation.

How do I stay consistent when life gets busy?

Focus on building repeatable, simple habits. Plan meals and workouts in advance, track progress, and allow flexibility for life events — consistency over perfection.

What results can I expect from online nutrition coaching?

Clients typically lose 3–6kg in 6–12 weeks, build better habits, feel more in control of their nutrition, and maintain results long-term without obsessive tracking.

Should I do cardio or strength training for fat loss?

Strength training should be your foundation — it preserves muscle and improves long-term metabolism. Cardio can supplement calorie burn but is less important than consistent resistance training.

How can I track progress without obsessing over the scale?

Use weekly averages, photos, measurements, and performance metrics instead of daily scale checks. This reduces stress and provides a clearer picture of progress.

Is fat loss slower after 35?

Not necessarily. Fat loss may feel slower due to lifestyle factors like reduced activity and recovery demands, but the same principles of nutrition and strength training apply.

Online vs in-person coaching — which is better?

Both can be effective. In-person coaching is ideal for hands-on guidance and motivation. Online coaching is flexible and perfect for busy lifestyles. Many clients combine both approaches.

Can I gain strength and lose fat at the same time?

Yes, especially for people over 35 who are new to structured strength training. Prioritising protein, compound lifts, and a moderate calorie deficit makes it possible to build muscle while losing fat.

How does sleep and stress affect fat loss?

Poor sleep and high stress increase hunger hormones, reduce energy, impair recovery, and make it harder to stick to nutrition plans. Managing these is often more impactful than supplements.

Fitness Trends 2026: Which Ones Are Actually Worth Your Time?

ianwoodsc
20 minutes ago
3 min read

Every year, new fitness trends promise better results, faster progress, and smarter training.

And every year, most people spend a lot of money and energy on things that don’t actually move the needle.

As a coach working with busy adults in the UK, I’m naturally sceptical of trends, not because they’re all useless, but because most are misapplied.

So let’s break down the biggest fitness trends of 2026, which ones are genuinely useful, and which ones are mostly noise.

Why Most Fitness Trends in 2026 Miss the Mark

The problem with most fitness trends isn’t the idea itself, it’s the assumption that newer automatically means better.

In reality, long-term progress still comes down to:

Progressive overload
Recovery
Adherence
Simplicity

If a trend doesn’t support those principles, it won’t deliver results, no matter how popular it is.

Hyrox: Competitive Energy, Limited Precision

Hyrox has exploded, and for the right person, that makes sense.

It’s great if you:

Thrive on competition
Love group energy and atmosphere
Enjoy event-driven motivation

But if you value a targeted, individualised approach, Hyrox often becomes too broad and too fatiguing.

Personally, I’ve done my competitive stint. At this stage, I’m far more interested in training that supports long-term strength, health, and performance, not chasing vibes and patches.

Verdict: Exciting, motivating, but niche.

Zone 2 Cardio: Brilliant in Theory, Unrealistic in Practice

Zone 2 cardio is one of the most talked-about fitness trends in 2026 with run-clubs exploding everywhere and scientifically, it’s excellent.

It improves:

Cardiovascular health
Aerobic capacity
Recovery

The issue for most over 35s? Time.

For most people, especially those juggling work, family, and training, Zone 2 is simply too time-consuming to prioritise consistently.

Verdict: outstanding for health, but impractical for many.

Wearables: Useful Data, Often Misused

Fitness wearables can be helpful, initially.

They’re useful for:

Establishing baseline habits
Sleep awareness
Step consistency

But many people quickly move from awareness to obsession, collecting data they don’t actually act on, or using it mainly for social media validation.

If the data isn’t changing your behaviour, it’s just noise.

Verdict: helpful short-term, unnecessary long-term for most.

Recovery Tech: Solve the Cause, Not the Symptom

Hot and cold therapy is everywhere in fitness trends 2026.

My take:

Heat + cold together can feel great
Heat alone is often more useful than cold alone

But for most people, recovery tech becomes another appointment in the diary, when the real fix would be better load management in training.

If you need constant recovery tools, the problem probably isn’t recovery, it’s programming.

Verdict: nice extra, poor priority.

AI Training Plans: Powerful Tool, Major Limitation

AI training plans are only as good as the prompt you give them.

They can:

Generate reasonable structure
Save time

But they cannot account for:

How someone feels day to day
Confidence, stress, pain, motivation
The qualitative side of coaching

Coaches claiming AI will replace good programming are overstating things, but coaches dismissing it entirely are being arrogant.

Verdict: useful tool, but not a replacement for coaching.

The Real Problem With Fitness Trends in 2026

Most people don’t fail because they chose the wrong trend.

They fail because they:

Overcomplicate
Chase novelty
Ignore fundamentals

Money spent on trends is often money better spent on expert coaching that simplifies the process.

Final Thought on Fitness Trends 2026

Trends come and go.

Principles don’t.

If a fitness trend doesn’t make training simpler, more repeatable, or easier to recover from, it’s probably not worth your time. Click here if you're interested in working with me 1-1 to help you avoid the fads that don't work and focus your effort and energy where it's most needed.