Martin's recipe for success is never to be bored

From working as a chef in Glasgow's Hilton Hotel to becoming a personal trainer might not seem like an obvious career choice.
Martin Hutton went from chef to personal trainerMartin Hutton went from chef to personal trainer
Martin Hutton went from chef to personal trainer

But Martin Hutton, from Bellshill, says his training as a chef gives him the perfectbackground to really make a difference.

“Getting in shape is 80 per cent about what you eat and 20 per cent about training,” he said.

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“I was looking for a change in direction and I had always been interested in fitness and had a love of food, so it seemed obvious to combine the two.”

Martin noticed that many people he saw in the gym were slogging away without much to show for it.

The problem, he believes, is that they think exercise will compensate for a bad diet.

“That’s the most common mistake people make,” he said. “The gym is full of people who are in there every night, slogging away but not thinking about what they are eating and drinking.”

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“They think the training comes first. The first sessions I do with clients are always about nutrition.”

His background as a chef means he can suggest ways to keep a diet interesting.

As someone who didn’t start to work on his fitness seriously until he was in his thirties, he also understands what its like to make changes.

“When I first started to get fit it was plain old chicken salads. I couldn’t last more than a few weeks because it was very boring – as much as I enjoy training, I also enjoy food!”

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Martin, now 40, also trained in nutrition and last year published a book.

Transform Your Body; 12 Weeks to a New You, reached number four on Amazon’s list of bestselling nutrition books.

“When clients are with you, it’s fine but when they go home, the book gives them information and encouragement.

“I always spend a lot of time talking to them about nutrition because it’s important to understand how the body works.”

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As a personal trainer, Martin is based at the Boathouse Gym in Strathclyde Park. And he has the same attitude to exercise that he has to food – avoid boredom at all costs.

“The thing about going to the gym is that I find it really boring and I know a lot of other people do. If you’re bored, you’re not going to enjoy it and you won’t give it your all!”

Martin began to look at the way in which his sporting heroes train.

“Professional athletes and sports people train for four or five hours a day, so I was interested in how they did that without getting bored.

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He began to find different equipment that was often tucked away in the gym and seldom used.

“I use kettlebells, medicine balls, battleropes, sandbags and resistance bands. It’s all stuff I use myself!”

He also insists on short bursts of 30 minutes at a time, rather than long sessions.

“Exercise shouldn’t be something you’re dreading doing – it should be something you get a buzz out of!”

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To download or order a copy of Transform Your Body: 12 Weeks to a New You, visit martinhuttoncoaching.co.uk. 


Martin’s CHICKEN ONE TRAY BAKE

(feeds 4-6)

This is the perfect one tray meal (with minimal washing up!) that is quick and easy to prepare. As well as being tasty it has everything the body needs: Plenty of veg for carbs, olives providing good fat and chicken giving you lean protein. And the chorizo gives it a lovely Spanish feel and lifts it to another level. Any leftover can be frozen and used for a quick nutritious lunch another day.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped

2 green peppers, deseeded and chopped

2 yellow peppers, deseeded and chopped

Jar of pitted black olives

4 red onions, peeled and chopped into chunks

Mixture of thyme, parsley, basil and/or oregano

1 tablespoon of paprika

200g chorizo, cut into chunks

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

Splash of sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Add all ingredients except the chicken into a large bowl or pan and mix together, coating everything well. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Tip into baking tray and add the chicken pieces, skin side up, nestled into the vegetable mix.

Place into an oven that has been preheated to 190°C and cook for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Check by putting knife into chicken. If cooked through, juice should run out clear.

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