THE POSITIVITY WORKOUT

Faisal Abdalla teaches us how to reboot our mindset

Faisal Abdalla, or Mr PMA as he is known to his clients, doesn’t do negative. ‘PMA stands for positive mental attitude, not perfect mental attitude – and it’s important not to confuse the two,’ he says. Responsible for putting Ellie Goulding through her impressive exercise paces, he’s a Nike Master Trainer, teaches high-energy classes at Barry’s Bootcamp and has an army of over 60,000 Instagram followers, even counting Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) among his fans. Famed for his buzzy, infectious positivity, he’s now on a mission to spread his PMA exercise philosophy far and wide with his new book, The PMA Method (Octopus). PMA is all about making changes to your body from the inside out, because ‘you can’t get physically fit without being emotionally fit,’ he says.

According to Abdalla, the main reason many of us struggle to stick to a fitness regime is because we’re motivated by a desire to lose weight or change completely – it’s our mindsets that are dragging us down. We need to want to exercise, but for the right reasons.

‘Nobody is perfect, so you’re wasting your time trying to chase perfection,’ he argues. ‘It’s fine to want to hone and tone and be strong, but your mental approach should be about loving your body for what it is, and what it can do, not hating it for what it’s not.’

The other thing holding us back?

‘A fear of failure,’ says Abdalla. ‘I mess up every single time I train, but that’s how I progress. The only thing you

‘LOVE YOUR BODY FOR WHAT IT IS’

should fear is letting mistakes destroy you. You learn your weaknesses to make them your strengths.’

While Abdalla is all about setting targets, he’s adamant that you should congratulate yourself for the mini-wins along the way.

‘You have to celebrate how far you’ve come rather than how far you’ve got to go – no matter how small the distance is,’ he says.

We also put too much pressure on ourselves; we go too hard too fast, meaning we’re easily disheartened and give up altogether.

HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR PMA

Reframe how you feel about exercise and your body with Faisal’s tips…

1 Work out your ‘why’

‘Your “why” runs far deeper than your goals – they might be to tone up, or run a 10k in 45 minutes – but ask yourself why you want them. For your own sense of achievement? To feel more confident? Identifying “why” can be hard; it can force you to look at things you’d rather block out. But once you’ve got it, you’re flying

– as long as your “why” isn’t to look like someone else.’

2 Be grateful

‘They say it’s not happy people who are thankful, but thankful people who are happy, and I couldn’t agree more. Writing down what you’re grateful for every day – even it’s just having a roof over your head – will give you a more positive outlook.’

3 Surround yourself with the right people

‘Those who say “won’t, can’t, don’t” will zap your energy and hold you back, so have the courage to cut these people out of your life. If you surround yourself with those who support your journey, it’ll be much easier to reach your destination.’

4 Speak to yourself

‘Find affirmations that you find motivating and say them aloud. Mine include “nothing worth having comes easy” and “life begins at the end of your comfort zone” – but they can be anything that resonates with you. Repeat them every morning in front of the mirror, and save one as your screensaver, so you feel positive every time you open your phone.’

‘I recommend six 20-minute sessions a week – which can even be split into 10-minute sessions if you’re really pushed for time,’ he says. ‘If you’re a total beginner, start with three sessions and build up. Ultimately, something is better than nothing.’

‘Making that commitment is half the battle, but the other half is cracking on and pushing through even when it gets tough.

‘And the part where you push through isn’t your body magically giving you more power and energy – it’s your mind doing that, so harness it.’

MAKE PMA PART OF YOUR WORKOUT

Channel your PMA before you start working out with this weekly guide

MOTIVATION MONDAY

Your mood on a Monday morning will set the tone for the whole week. Start as you mean to go on; focus on your positive affirmations before your workout and repeat them throughout the day.

TARGET TUESDAY

Focus on your ‘why’ – why do you want to train? Why do you want to think positively? Why do you want to eat healthily? Write down your targets somewhere you will read them regularly.

CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY

You’re halfway there! This is your midweek progress check; think about what you’ve done well and where you need to improve.

TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY

Take photos every Thursday so you can notice and celebrate any positive changes, big or small.

GOAL-SETTING FRIDAY

Readjust your goals and targets, thinking about what you have achieved and plan how to reach the ones you haven’t – you’ll start the following week feeling motivated with a clear strategy.

SOCIAL SATURDAY

Relationships are fundamental to positivity, so make time for your friends. Work out with your pals for an extra boost.