Questions people ask. Answered plainly.
By Francesco Zen, 19 years in health and fitness.
The questions my clients ask before they start: getting fit at 45 and 50, training around a full diary, choosing a coach, and the tests. Each page gives the answer first, then the detail, with its sources.
Choosing a coach
Coach, trainer, or neither.
- Online Fitness Coach for Busy Professionals Remote one-to-one coaching for a full diary: a plan Francesco Zen writes around your week, about three hours a week, at home, in a hotel or a gym.
- Online Personal Trainer for Men Over 50 What a good online personal trainer for men over 50 measures first, and what changes after 50. One-to-one remote coaching by Francesco Zen.
- How Much Does Online Fitness Coaching Cost in the UK? What sets the price of online fitness coaching, what to compare before you pay, and my own price in full: £900 for 12 weeks, refundable within 14 days.
- Is Online Fitness Coaching Worth It? Does It Work? It depends on one thing: commitment. Who online coaching works for, who should start in person instead, and how to tell whether it is working.
- Online Coach vs Personal Trainer: Which Is Better? From someone who has been both: what a coach does that a trainer does not, and how to choose between them, depending on how your week runs.
- Is a Personal Trainer Worth It? From 15 years as a one to one personal trainer: when a trainer is worth the money, when remote coaching is, and how to tell a good coach before you pay.
Starting at 45 and 50
Where to start, and how long it takes.
- How to Get in Shape at 45: Where to Start It is not too late at 45. Measure where you are, build strength and balance in about three hours a week, often less, and do not start by cutting food.
- How to Start Exercising Again at 50 Begin smaller than you think: short bursts of movement and a few simple strength exercises, then build gradually. A plan in order for coming back at 50.
- How Long Does It Take to Get Fit at 50? Most of my clients tell me they feel lighter and stronger around day ten. The measures take longer, so we retest every 12 weeks. An honest timeline.
- How Much Exercise Per Week at 50? Less than most people think, done well. The guideline minutes, how I spend about three hours a week with clients at 50, and where to start.
- Am I Too Old to Get Fit at 50? No. In my clients over 40, the ability to build muscle has not gone, but the margin for error has. Where to start at 50, in about three hours a week.
- Strength Training for Men Over 50 at Home Strength training for men over 50 at home: a chair, a wall and the floor. What to train, how to progress without weights, in about three hours a week.
- Strength Training for Women Over 50 Where to start strength training after 50, at home or in a gym: measure first, build in order, add weight only when steady. About three hours a week.
A full diary
Training around the week you have.
- Best Workouts for Busy Professionals The workout I give most busy professionals: a short full body circuit before breakfast, bodyweight only, at home or in a hotel room. How it works.
- How to Find Time to Exercise With a Busy Schedule Start from the week you actually have: find what fits each day, book it like a meeting, keep a short version for bad days, hand off what eats your time.
- Fitness for Executives With No Time Fitness for executives with no time: about three hours a week, often less, planned around your diary, at home, in a hotel room or a gym.
- How to Stay Fit While Travelling for Work How to stay fit while travelling for work: plan the trip before you leave, train in the room, walk, protect your sleep and order simply at the table.
- Hotel Room Workout, No Equipment Choose 10, 20 or 30 minutes and what the room has, tick no jumping for the room below, and follow the timer.
- Posture Exercises for Desk Workers Short posture exercises for desk workers: what to do at the desk and between meetings, and why moving often matters more than sitting perfectly.
The tests
Measure first, at home.
- One Leg Stand Test: Average Times by Age Can you stand on one leg for ten seconds? Time yourself with eyes open and closed, and compare with the average for your age group.
- Sit and Rise Test: Score Yourself Out of 10 Can you sit on the floor and stand up without your hands? Score yourself out of 10 at home and see what research says.
- Push-Up Test: How Many Can You Do? Count clean push-ups at home and see your band: women by age group, men from a ten year study.
- Waist to Height Ratio Calculator Enter your waist and height for your ratio and its NICE band, and how to measure your waist properly.
Twenty minutes, with me.
We talk about your week, your health and what you have tried before. If the programme fits you, I will say so. If it does not, I will say that too.