Beginners Guide to Getting Ripped

15/12/2025

A quick update from behind the scenes…

When I first set up this page, it was all about one thing: helping people get leaner and stronger.

Over the last few years, though, my work – and my life – have shifted. I’ve seen how many people feel they “fail” at fitness not because they’re weak or lazy, but because the whole system is built around the wrong starting point.

So I’m shifting the way I coach and where I put my energy.

– DCSfit is becoming a more structured coaching space, built around a framework I’ve been developing called Equilibritecture, which takes people step by step from the basics (sleep, food, movement, stress) towards identity and self-belief.
– I’m also launching a new charity project, Designs on Yourself, focused on helping neurodivergent adults and others who’ve never felt at home in traditional fitness environments to rebuild confidence and health in calmer, safer spaces.

This page isn’t disappearing – it’s evolving.

Over time, this will become more of a hub for:

– deeper posts about the rebuild process
– updates from DCSfit and Designs on Yourself
– and, eventually, longer-form content (video, podcast, etc.) for people who want more than “before and after” photos.

If you originally followed this page because you wanted to change your body, and any of this speaks to where you are now, I’d love you to stay connected:

👉 Follow DCSfit for more on the new coaching direction
👉 Follow Designs on Yourself - SCIO to see the charity project as it grows

Thank you for being here, even while things have been quiet. The work is finally moving again

06/04/2025

One of the healthiest things you can do is laugh - it decreases stress and lowers cortisol (which ultimately helps improve weight loss, muscle building and general well-being).

With that in mind, I have to recommend this show. I saw it during its initial run, and I'm heading to see it again at the Pavillion.

It's hilariously funny, the script seems to get tweaked and adapted to current events for up to the minute humour and there is a very poignant message that will hit you in the feels too.

What more could you ask for?

Highly recommended!

24/01/2022

Hands up - who is in the "I don't like water" camp?

Who doesn't like the taste?

And who drinks it regularly?

Whatever camp you are in, chances are, you have the choice. Many don't.

Water is foundational to our existence. But sufficient water intake is also a key element to our health, fitness and well-being.

How would it be if you could not only make improvements for yourself, through improved information, mindset approaches and guidance but also help others in the world with this basic necessity that is sorely lacking?

💥Well, you can do both by following the DCSfit Channel on YouTube.💥

Make 2022 a better year, not just for yourself, but globally. And make water a bigger part of your life.

21/12/2021

Today, in the UK, it is the shortest day of the year.

Any glimmer of sunshine must have been extremely fleeting (it almost feels like a full day of night).

☀️ Daylight, both mentally and chemically, gives us a boost. So to be deprived of it is not doing us any favours.

This is one of the reasons Christmas is situated at this time of the year. As a celebration to lift our spirits in the darkest days. 🥳

And given the past couple of years, that has rarely been more poignant. (So please, regardless of your views of the festival or the day, take the time to care, be cared about and focus on joy and happiness wherever possible).

One thing that rarely gets thought about though is Vitamin D.

🙅 Limit the sunshine - limit the vitamin D supplies.

Given the benefits to mood and depression; the positive effects on the immune system (again, never been more important); the boost to calcium absorption (improving bone density and repair) and fairly recent links to improved fat loss, it’s a Vitamin worth ensuring you are topped up with. ⠀
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Whilst it can be obtained through food sources, levels tend to be quite low. However, it’s certainly worth ensuring you get as much as possible this way. ⠀
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Aim to include the following:⠀
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🔸 Fatty fish (Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel etc)⠀
🔸 Egg Yolks⠀
🔸 Beef Liver⠀
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You can also look at dairy products, such as cheese, orange juice & some cereals. However, these may be a hindrance to your body composition improvement goals (ie fat loss or building muscle) and should be included sparingly. ⠀
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But the fact remains that a top-up is something worth considering and supplementing this particular vitamin may be worth considering. ⠀
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My preference is to use the spray version, as it is generally absorbed through the skin (when coming from the sun) anyway. But that is hypothetical on my part, so consider any high-quality brand.

Bring a little sunshine wherever possible at this time of year, through joy and consideration of others.

But don't forget the chemical side of things and look after your health & well-being.

06/11/2020

Fantastic post by coach Heinrich on the importance of knowing your abs rather than blindly working them.

Hi everyone,

Do you include crunches and sit-ups into your routine? If so, is it because you understand the function of the re**us abdominis (6 pack) or do you include it for aesthetic purposes?

Lets look at some factors to consider if you're a person that spends hours in the gym trying to achieve that 'washboard abs' look.

Lets limit it to 3 main factors:

1. The transverse Abdominis and lower abdominals are predominantly pelvic and spinal stabilizers within dynamic and static movements. This means that it is crucial that you understand that the TVA is highly functional when we: bend over to pick an object off the floor, carrying groceries, play with our children, playing football, mowing the lawn etc. Without effective recruitment of the TVA, were essentially leaving our spine naked or exposed...this is a dangerous situation.

2. The oblique musculature is predominantly rotators of the trunk, pelvic stabilizers but also facilitates many other movements. We think of this musculature when were: seated in the drivers side and twist to get something of the back seat, playing golf, pick something off the floor and twist to put in on a shelf, throwing a ball, walking and running, etc.

3. The re**us abdominis (6 Pack) is predominantly a trunk flexor which means if we over train it (sit-ups and crunches), it very often leads to postural dysfunction. This can lead to a variety of different problems and pain. It is also a stabilizer of the spine under heavy load but we very rarely consider this when performing abdominal work.

So what does this mean?

It means that the sequencing of abdominal exercises is very very important. We want to ensure that all parts of the midsection is trained equally and needs to considered when Friday is ab day!

Look I'm not saying you need to stop training abs, I'm saying that you need to sequence it properly. Start with TVA and lower abdominals first as they are extremely important in human movement. Follow that up with the oblique musculature on another day and finish your abdominal work with upper abdominals. We want to think function first...then aesthetics.

Your spine will thankyou further down the line.

Please stay safe.

Coach Heinrich