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James Vasko

@jamesvasko

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Putting in the work but not seeing the muscle growth you want? I turn that effort into the physique you deserve.
Online Coach | Mobile PT in Radlett

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Building muscle has changed far more than just how I look.

At 19, I was skinny, less confident, and had no real idea what I was capable of physically. Looking back, I wasn’t eating anywhere near enough. I felt lethargic, weak, and had very little belief in what I could achieve physically.

Now at 31, I’m stronger, fitter, more confident, and feel so much better in myself than I did over a decade ago.

When people look at me now, the muscle is probably the most obvious change, and they might assume that’s the main reason I’ve kept doing this for so long. But it’s only one part of it. I like being bigger and stronger, and I like looking at what I’ve built and knowing the work that went into it.

But sticking with training and consistently working on myself has given me so much more. It’s given me structure during some very difficult periods of my life, something productive to focus on when other things felt uncertain, and shown me that I can struggle, lose motivation, have setbacks, and still keep moving forward.

Over time, becoming physically stronger has also given me a huge amount of confidence and mental strength outside the gym. That’s a big part of why I coach.

Training and building muscle have become part of a much bigger picture for me. I’m healthier, more capable, more confident in myself, and genuinely feel better at 31 than I did at 19. It’s something I intend to keep doing for as long as I’m able to.

And your entire life doesn’t need to revolve around training to get a lot from it. You need a sensible plan, enough nutrition, consistency, patience, and an approach that works alongside the rest of your life.

If you’re ready to start moving forward with your own goals, send me a DM. We’ll look at where you are now, where you want to get to, and the best way to start making it happen.

#buildmuscle #musclegrowth #strengthtraining #onlinefitnesscoaching #onlinecoaching💪 by @jamesvasko

Recording this wasn’t easy, but it felt important to share.

Partly to be open about what the last few months have been like, and partly to explain what has been going on behind the scenes. I will likely share more about this in the future.

I am not the only person facing a very high chance of developing FTD or ALS in the future. Thousands of people receive similar diagnoses after discovering they carry genetic mutations.

For many, this comes after already watching a loved one go through the same illness, which makes the reality even harder to process.

One of my goals now is to help raise awareness and contribute in whatever small way I can to the research and progress that may one day lead to effective treatments, and hopefully a cure#.

This experience has also reminded me how much of a gift our minds really are.

After watching my mum slowly fade away, and now knowing I may face a similar future, I have gained a deep appreciation for the brain and the conscious thoughts, decisions, and experiences it allows us to have every day.

It is something we often take for granted, but when you stop and think about it, it really is extraordinary.

#ftd #als #c9orf72 #geneticscreening by @jamesvasko

Putting the effort into training but still not happy with what you see in the mirror? If you’re not seeing the results you want, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Look at your training, nutrition and recovery, figure out what’s not working and make the necessary changes.

Make sure the effort you’re putting in is bringing progress.

Currently sitting at 95kg, adding some muscle mass after 12 years of natural lifting. Can’t complain 😉

Struggling to make progress? If you want some guidance, drop me a message and let’s see how I can help you get the results you’re after. 💪🏻

#musclegain #physiquedevelopment #naturallifting #onlinecoaching #buildmuscle by @jamesvasko

When reducing the weight isn’t a problem.

#progressiveoverload #musclegrowth #hypertrophy #gymtips #strengthtraining by @jamesvasko

Been an amazing journey. Which year do you think is the best?

#bodybuildingphysique #naturallifting #naturalttraining #weightlifting #naturalmuscle by @jamesvasko

One month into lean gaining and a little over 1kg up.

Some of that will be from increased glycogen, water retention and food volume, but I can also see and feel some subtle improvements, particularly in the upper-body areas I’ve been focusing on.

After 12 years of natural lifting, muscle gains are much harder to come by than they were in my earlier years. Progress is now about making smaller improvements over time, and I’m happy with how things are going so far!

Those smaller changes might not look like much from the outside, but at this stage of my training, those little positive changes are what I’m aiming for.

leangaining musclebuilding naturalbodybuilding physiquedevelopment gymprogress by @jamesvasko

Some of the reasons and bonuses of staying lean year-round.

I like being in a position where if I book a holiday, I don’t need to spend the next few months cutting just to feel good when I get there. I can just turn up and be ready to take my top off and feel good.

#fatloss #musclegain #bodybuilding #fitnessjourney #onlinecoach by @jamesvasko

Interesting to reflect on how much attitudes towards certain exercises can change over the years

Smith machines went from something many lifters looked down on to now being commonly used as a useful tool within hypertrophy programmes

Worth remembering that commonly repeated gym beliefs aren’t always backed by the evidence

#hypertrophy #musclegrowth #bodybuilding #gymtips #smithmachine by @jamesvasko

Anyone else wish they’d taken more photos?

One thing I’m glad I can do as a coach is help people document their progress properly. You don’t always realise how much is changing while you’re in it.

#fitnessprogress #gymprogress #transformation #musclebuilding #personaltrainer by @jamesvasko

62kg-95kg, been one hell of a journey

#gymtransformation #naturaltransformation #musclegrowth #progress #naturalgains by @jamesvasko

1. Every experience could be the last time you experience something like it. Enjoy those unique moments while you’re in them, instead of always looking ahead to whatever comes next.

2. Learning to love people and help others where you can makes the time we have here so much more meaningful. The more positivity we create around us, the more of it we get to live in ourselves.

3. Drop the ego. You can love yourself without needing to prove yourself, be better than someone else or always be right.

4. Don’t accept your negative traits as “just who I am.” You can accept yourself while still recognising where you need to grow and making the effort to change.

5. It’s easy to take everyday life for granted. Ordinary moments become a lot more valuable when you realise none of them are promised.

6. You can feel incredibly privileged to have the life you have and still struggle with it. Gratitude and pain can exist at the same time.

7. If there’s something you really want to do or somewhere you want to be, stop waiting for the “perfect time.” It probably won’t come. Before you know it, years have passed, and none of us know how many we have left.

#ftdawareness #lifeexperiences
#dementiaawareness #lifelessons #perspective by @jamesvasko

Bit of a generic gym post but why is this often the case?

#gymcommunity #gympeople #gymmeme #gym #bodybuilding by @jamesvasko