WAKE FIT Personal training

Samuel's own fitness business. His mission statement is to concentrate on his passion: coaching clients and helping them achieve their fitness goals. Samuel practices what he preaches and applies his knowledge by competing in 'physique competitions' and other fitness challenges. He is still involved with elite level sport and performs the role of Strength and Conditioning coach for the GB Luge team. This multi faceted approach ensures he has all the tools at his disposal to work towards the clients ultimate fitness aim, whatever that may be.

Samuel currently conducts his personal training from a state-of-the-art fitness facility in central London as well as outdoor/home visits. Samuel has a diverse portfolio of clients from celebrities, actors and West-end performers to 'office based' professionals. He is also a regular writer and advisor for Men’s Fitness magazine.

Founder & Head coach

Robert Walters

Robert Walters IT Contract Division recruits Technology contractors for Financial Services and Commerce and Industry clients. We align our consultants in a vertical matrix to prioritise candidate skillsets and sector knowledge.

Robert Walters plc is one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies with 51 offices spanning 23 countries. 

The vast majority of our competitors operate on an individual commission basis however success through team performance and a non-commision based renumeration model are fundamental values at Robert Walters, when speaking to clients and candidates or interviewing people to join my team I can honestly say that this strategy serves long term relationships.

Because every recruitment challenge is characterised by differing circumstances our candidate sourcing campaigns and solutions are designed specifically for each client.

Recruitment Consultant

Royal Air Force

Co-ordinating and scheduling chartered privately owned aircraft as part of a NATO contract to assist the military heavy lift capability.

Operations Officer (manager)

Officer

RAF- Defence Supply Chain Organisation and Management

Responsibility as part of a team to co-ordinate and plan all RAF heavy lift air movements world wide.  This involved solving complex logistics and mathmatical problems within such issues as crew duty planning, slot prioritisation and fleet management.

Airlift Task Planning

I help busy professional male leaders achieve their body/fitness goals through time efficient online coaching around their lifestyle. Fully personalised high end service achieving a guaranteed lean, fit & healthy body.

After completing my degree in Sports Science I went on to serve 10 years as an RAF Officer initially as a pilot and later as an Operations Officer. During my military career I was fortunate to work in a variety of countries in many dynamic and fast moving positions.  As a team leader I have been responsible for the welfare, training and development of subordinates as well as bearing overall responsibility for mission success. 

I left the RAF in Dec 2012 and took a role in recruitment. During this time I made the decision to follow my passion for exercise and take my fitness work fulltime. I left Robert Walters after an enjoyable year to establish my own business.

Sugar isn't actually addictive despite what many think. 💯

Nobody has ever noshed off a 70 year old for a bag of Tate & Lyle.

Tesco does not have a sugar theft problem!

It doesn’t need to keep the white stuff under lock and key! 🔒

If it were opium it absolutely would! 👍

Sugar is JUST hyper-palatable and easy to over-consume, especially when mixed with fat and/or salt in various man-made junk products. 💯

You enjoy it and that’s fine, and it can be hard to break the habit.

BUT don’t use ‘addiction’ as an excuse. 💣💥

All you are doing is robbing yourself of empowerment, and this prevents you making a positive change. 😬

Put that in your crack pipe & smoke it! 😉

Sam Wake

What an amazing weekend in hospitality with my client Darren Lenney.

He invited me and my boy to sample the delights of the toon and to see our sorry team get another Newcastle United pasting.

My son told me it was the best experience of his life and he was treated so well by all the staff.

And to be fair the food and experience was absolutely first class so credit to Newcastle United. 

20 odd years ago I went to university in Newcastle so I was delighted to show my son the city.

And Geordies really are some of the nicest people in the country. So friendly. 

And it’s reasons like this I’m in business.

Mutual goals and then new friendships.

I think it’s true that people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. 

For me business isn’t business unless both parties win.

Thanks once again Darren, you are a top egg, my son even wants you to come stay at ours and watch his matches….🤦‍♂️

I’m on the train to Newcastle today.

Off to the spurs game which my boy is very excited about…

Anyway, maximum rail disruption today so I received an email saying my ticket was valid on earlier trains…..

So far so good.

But……

Turns out not so simple.

I took a Kings Cross-Newcastle service 18 mins early.

Even checked with the platform staff as we didn’t have reserved seats.

All was supposedly good.

Drinking a coffee doing some work, son on Nintendo, then ticket inspection.

Turns out my ticket isn’t valid as it’s a different service.

(Despite being same departure, same destination, just 18 mins different.)

Quoted a hefty whack for new tix.

Inspector took my perfectly valid ticket then called the police after I explained the situation, showed my email and enquired about options.

9 year old son was terrified from London to York even though I reassured him. 

Police waiting for us at York.

Train held temporarily.

Even the police thought the inspector shouldn’t penalise an honest mistake.

Very friendly chat. 

But the train manager was on one. Charging multiple people. 

£80 quid later. Sorted.

But left a very bad taste by the treatment and lack of professionalism.

Avoid LNER if you have a choice of rail companies.

LNER LIMITED

93

That’s how many days we’ve had this year.

76

That’s the amount of workouts I’ve done.

1

That’s the amount of sessions I’ve ‘felt’ like doing. 

But as a man your feelings are a poor barometer of what you should do.

Quite often I’ve been too cold, too busy, too stressed to train.

But guess what? 

Nobody cares…..

People busier than you and I are out there doing the work.

Getting ahead.

Your inactivity is their competitive advantage.

Be it in sport, business or life. 

The biggest fix is finding discipline.

Taking away the active choice element you give yourself.

Create consistency a day, then a week at a time.

Drop the all or nothing mindset. If you aren’t a professional athlete it’s not serving you.

Commit to little and often.

I know what I’m talking about I’ve achieved it with busy, busy men hundreds of times.

You didn’t do HIIT…🤔

If you trained for 45 mins in a boot camp HIIT class you didn’t do HIIT.

If you didn’t feel ill after 10 mins and stop you didnt do HIIT.

The clue is in the name. 

High intensity.

30 years training and I still dread proper HIIT.

It’s why I won’t program it for more than a week or so. 

It’ll beat you. 

Psychological it’ll stop you training eventually.

And then it’s no good at all. 

Why am I telling you this?

Knowledge is power.

You are far more likely to get a better result with consistent lower intensity work factored around your day. 

It’s one of the reasons my fellas do so well. I get results around their variables. 

I DON’T follow a dogmatic rigid approach. 💥

This is my guy Josh. 💪

Same T-shirt (and same house party) on NYE 22 and NYE23

But one big difference in how the tee fits.

This year he wants to ‘drop the hammer’.🔨

We’ve been bulking.

He’s been getting stronger.

He is really becoming something special.

Watch this space.

Want to improve your health and fitness like never before?

I offer a guaranteed result.

You know where I am!

I’ve known Mykey for years. 

His goal was a more muscular physique. 

Previously, he had tried ‘everything’ and remained slim. 

On top of this he suffered back pain and had a highly active job as a professional dancer.

First thing we needed to do was produce a highly effective mass building plan that wasn’t too intense. 

It had to fit around his dancing, and this potentially impaired his ability to recover. ✅

We went with a full body workout 3x a week giving just enough frequency and volume to facilitate muscle growth but without driving him into the ground from fatigue. 

As regards nutrition we upped his calories substantially to account for all his movement and went high protein, high carb and moderate fat. This gave him plenty of fuel for training and dancing. 

To facilitate rest and recovery, we cut out any additional cardio and focused on a decent 8 hrs sleep a night. 

Finally, after building some serious strength through consistent progressive overload, we moved onto a diet phase to strip back any additional bodyfat gained from the mass building phase. 👍

Final result after a year is a completely different man. Note, tattoos not included!!
😂

If this has inspired you, drop me a message!

Let's get to work 💪

Throw back to when I ran 100km with a few weeks training……

Broke a few bones in the process.

And still cracked on. 😉

Question is with the date? 

Did it actually happen?

Sam, I barely eat yet don’t lose fat. Is my metabolism broken? 

Yes, I have actually heard these exacts words, (and multiple other versions of the same.)

In general, people aren’t great at either remembering what they have eaten, or the calorific costs involved.

A quick example:

A Starbucks salted caramel mocha and a croissant for breakfast, actually about 800 calories!

What you recall, a coffee and a pastry. (Anywhere from 200-300 calories.)

You see the disconnect. 

That 800 calories could be as much as 40-50% of your calorie target (if fat loss is your goal).

Now consider condiments: A chicken and avocado wholemeal sub with mayo and butter. (900-1000 calories)

What you recall, a chicken roll- 300-400 calories. 

In just these examples alone, you would have reported more than 1000 calories less than your actual consumption. And this is only taking us to lunch time!

People often ‘forget’ the little things. These ‘little’ things by calories, actually aren’t so little. 

Energy dense foods such as oil to cook with, condiments, a handful of nuts here and there, soft drinks and creamy coffees to name just a few. 

Also, healthy foods can be high in calories, (salmon, avocado etc.) 

Generally, this gets under-reported as people just assume it’s good for fat loss. 

Top-tip: It isn’t always. 💣💥

So, what’s the solution?

Tracking. Nearly all my clients get dietary success through learning to track their food. 

By learning to track and keep an accurate log of your food patterns we can find these ‘hidden’ calories and we can work out a strategy to manage these. Not EXCLUDE them.

I teach how to eat all your favourite foods but remain within your calorie target. 

Furthermore, tracking helps with your food education, so you understand what each food consists of. 

This is empowering to be able to make better choices knowing the ramifications of these little actions day after day.

Nutrition is just one small part of my ‘WAKE FIT method’. 

Highly individualised 1-1 online fitness coaching focusing on the latest sports science applied to everyday folk.

If you are interested in hearing more drop me a DM.

Why did I train?

Initial for the level of football I was starting to play.

After, because I thought it would help me get girls.

(Spoiler: it doesn’t, it can’t compensate for personality….) 😉

But, I’m glad I started. Because it gave me a head start.

Now, I train for entirely different reasons. 

As a busy Dad, and business owner I train for quality of life.

I train to stay productive and to be hands on with my kids.

I train to build memories with my kids.

These memories for my kids will hopefully be my legacy. 

A guy that loved his kids more than anything and tried his best. 

Take the recently finished holidays.

I took the kids to see family in Plymouth and to the Argyle match. (Our second team due to family ties). 

And then straight up to Newcastle for the spurs match. 

This allowed my wife to crack on with her studies.

I’m shattered but I still got it done.

This is what fitness can do for you!! ❤️

(P.S Kids met spurs loanees Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine so double win.

And they got some stuff signed for me to get framed.

COYS and COYGs. (Champions league qualification and championship survival respectively).)

This is Arjun. 💥

Arjun @arjun_s21 came to me because he was sick of being out of shape and not feeling good about himself. 

He was low on energy and self-confidence, and this in turn lowered his drive to get anything done.

With two small kids and a stressful IT job things needed to change to keep his mental and physical health afloat! 💯

He had found himself skipping all exercise to ‘find’ time, then procrastinating and still not using this time effectively. 

He was sluggish and not enjoying his family like he used to.

In short, he was in a rut. ☹️

A rut that had left him, unfulfilled, unhappy, overweight, and unhealthy. 

I bet many of you are frustrated at being in exactly the same predicament. 🤔

To his credit, he recognised that enough was enough, and in his own words, ‘things won’t change unless he does’. 

Arjun needed a long-term plan. One that fitted around his EXACT circumstances. 

One, that would get him to his goal WITHOUT UNNECESSARY suffering. ✅

(Anything worth achieving does of course take a certain degree of effort but my role is to make it as EFFECTIVE as possible whilst preventing this unnecessary discomfort.)

I produced a solution which maximised his time efficiency with a home-based workout. 

We also incorporated some family activities which allowed us to increase his energy expenditure whilst spending more quality time with the wife and kids. 💥

This was a real double whammy as it meant time was spent reconnecting with his kids whilst getting a decent calorie burn, thus avoiding the road to ruin of typical endless, soulless, cardio. 

Accountability came in the form of planning his sessions a week in advance and having him message me when complete. 

This simple trick appealed to his sense of responsibility as I knew he didn’t want to let me down. 

We aimed for a slightly longer timeframe to ensure a permanent change in lifestyle. What you see took 12 months of work. 

(I am not interested in working with people on a BOOM-and-BUST approach. I aim to educate and leave you much HEALTHIER than you started). 💯

If you want a fitter, healthier you, for both your and your family’s sake drop me a DM.

I can turn you around! 💪

Cost is what you pay.

Value is what you receive.

The cost should sting a little.

It serves both as a function to force you to do the work.

And to enable a service to be top quality to facilitate your result. 

And that’s why cheap is never good.

So assuming you can afford the service, value is where you should train your thoughts.

If I get the help to complete the journey I can’t complete on my own what will that give me? 

💪Health and quality of life (literally extra years on this planet).
💪Greater confidence.
💪Improved relationship with partner.
💪Greater productivity.
💪Pride in your appearance.
💪No limitations in life to start new activities.
💪Knowledge and becoming the role model your kids need to lead their own healthy life.

These are just some of the benefits to getting fit.

It isn’t about a 6 pack. (Although that is achievable for some people).

It’s about living your best life.

After all, you only have the one. 

The ROI is huge.

And that’s why value should be your main concern.

(P.S. What you pay won’t change my life, what you receive WILL change yours). ❤️

An elite level result takes elite level work ethic.

And a lifestyle to support that.

💥Naps.
💥Very few off plan meals.
💥Active recovery.
💥Supplementation.
💥The forsaking of social life/fun.

All for that (often) fleeting shot at glory. 🏆

But, that’s not who I work with any longer.

I’m a big fan of the saying….

‘A non-extreme result shouldn’t require extreme measures’.

The good news.

This makes a decent recent much more achievable for the busy every day family man.

80% of the result takes 20% of the effort.

Ol’ Parento’s law in motion.

I will include treats.

I won’t exclude your fun.

I won’t make your family or career suffer.

End result is a much more sustainable process.

And sustainable = consistency.

And if there was such a thing as a secret fitness ingredient….

Well, consistency would be it.

And you keep your result.

No more boom or bust.

Like the sound of that

Drop me a message to chat! 💪

Circuit training with weights isn’t optimal for a cardio workout.

Simply elevating your heart rate for an extended period of time is not what makes you ‘fit’.

Heart rate is simply a lag indicator and not the ‘working mechanism’ to getting fit. 

You need both a certain amount of optimal exertion.

AND for the blood to reach the working extremities.

A muscular contraction via weights can occlude blood flow to the working muscle by up to approx 50%.

This impedes oxygen uptake.

This limited oxygen update can prevent optimal stimulus.

This limits localised improvement in mitochondrial density and the capillary network. 

So choose your cardio exercises appropriately.

And remember, as always, cardio isn’t for fat loss.

Comparison is the thief of joy? 

Only if you approach it wrong! 

Let me explain!

If used correctly comparison can be extremely useful.

If not, it can be a real negative influence on your life.

Imagine you are admiring a client result or some amazing physique somewhere.

They’ve transformed a Dad-bod just like yours into something akin to a marvel superhero.🦸

And they’ve gained ‘bigger’ things through it, you know, more confidence, more energy, better relationships etc….

Anyway, this bit is important: 

You’ve admired this physique and right now your thought process can go one of two ways.

Most, people either criticise themselves about why they aren’t in the same position or discredit the others achievement.

Why can’t I do that?😠

What is wrong with me?😠

Or, I bet he has an easy life to do all that!😤

Easy for him, probably uses drugs etc……😫

This breeds negativity and is to the detriment of your happy life.

The other sort of person, has a much more positive response:

And remember.

Success leaves clues….

What behaviours allowed them to get this result?✅

How did they fit what they needed to do around their lifestyle?✅

What environment allowed that? Could I create the same?✅

This positive mental attitude is the spark that can kickstart a better you.

This comparison can change your life for the better. 

When I work with clients on my ‘WAKEFIT method’ I prime them to start seeing things through a more constructive outlook as part of my mindset coaching.

Some people progress faster than others, whilst others take slightly longer to arrive at the destination.

However, that’s okay. 

Regardless of time frame it still amounts to only a miniscule % of your life. 

But, by actually starting, losing the negativity, and committing to change, you know what? you’ll more than likely succeed. 

If you are interested in having me in your corner to achieve an amazing result then fire me a DM and we’ll have a little chat! 👍

5 years v’s 5 months.

And he had been trying too.

That’s the difference it makes.

And you know what you always earn more money.

But you don’t get time back.

It’s the one thing you can’t afford to waste.

And finally, it only gets harder to achieve.

And more expensive.

So if it’s something that’s on your horizon it’s worth thinking about NOW.

Take this as the sign you were looking for.

Bulking is an important part of the fitness process.

Both for skinny men who want a bit more size.

Or those who are used to being larger but after a successful ‘cut’ feel a bit small.

But bulking is generally harder than getting lean.

Getting lean is all about taking away.

A calorie deficit will solve that.

(Admittedly more difficult in practice. But that’s outside of scope here). 

Getting more muscle is about adding tissue.

The body doesn’t really want to do this.

In fact it would rather get fat.

This is what happens to most people as they don’t really know what they are doing.

Take home points.

💪Eat sufficient calorie in a ‘small’ surplus.

💪Focus on quality rest as much as training.

💪Use progressive overload intelligently.

💪Train more frequently with less work vs single day body part splits. 

Most people are nowhere near their muscular genetic potential so there a lot of ‘easy’ gains there for the educated.

You cannot ‘spot’ fat reduce from a specific area.

It’s like trying to use a scoop to empty a corner of the swimming pool. 

However, you can improve the appearance of certain areas. To do this: 

1. Target said area to build muscle and then commit to losing bodyfat over the entire body.

Going back to my swimming pool. 😂

Imagine stubborn fat (be it lower abs or love handles, whatever) as the deep end of the swimming pool.

The only way you can directly empty the deep end of the swimming pool is by first removing enough water overall so as the deep end is the only bit still holding water. Then you can directly target it.

Stubborn fat works much the same.

It sucks, but it is what it is. 💪

Anyone able to recommend a trade mark lawyer?

Am looking for a bit of advice and potentially a bit of work for them. 

Thanks.

Sh*t happens. 

It’s called life, it happens to us all. 

Things disrupt our best laid plans.

Some of these are welcome. 

Some less so.

But the people that see their goals through to the end know how to roll with the punches. 

They use setbacks as opportunities. 

My guys are taught this from day 1. 

Take Oliver. 

As a recruiter he is pretty sedentary.

BUT……

He was making great progress until he broke his arm playing football with his little one. 

(Being a dad is a dangerous job) 😂

However, his fitness goals were important, and he understood it’s a lifelong journey.

He also had a moral contract with me.

Meaning your goal is my goal. And a shared goal massively boosts success rates.

But back to the coaching. 

You aren’t simply ‘on’ plan or ‘off’ plan. 

Every little action compound, positively or negatively. 

So, when the worst happened, and he broke his arm instead of regressing back to zero. 

We continued with almost no loss in momentum. 

We turned a setback into an opportunity.

A quick switch of training phase and a lower body bulking opportunity had presented itself. 

Oliver gained some serious lower body strength, muscle and a metabolic boost with no gain in body fat. 

This improved his next attack on his fat loss journey after his arm recovery. 

Why? 

Firstly, Oli had built more muscle and therefore improved his metabolic rate 24/7:

This then increased the ease at which he shredded fat. 

End result, very little lost time and a more balanced aesthetic end result.

Look at your life. 

Do you see limitations or opportunities?

If you are desperately unhappy about your fitness situation and can’t seem to find your way, understand that’s normal. 

However, there is a way. 

I’ve successfully dealt with this time and again. 

DM me today and take the first step in changing your situation for good. 

Result guaranteed. 💪

You know where I am…..

Taplio

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