The Body Coach Joe Wicks: 'I hate diets. I’m the anti-diet guy'

Mollie Goodfellow meets the fitness man of the moment and Instagram sensation, Joe Wicks
The Body Coach: Joe Wicks
Mollie Goodfellow23 September 2015

Joe Wicks shot to fame with more than 50,000 virtual clients thanks to his easy-going lifestyle plan on Instagram. With fans such as Ellie Goulding and a book out next year, he is the new name on the lips of every fitness buff

What is the #LeanIn15 concept about?

Lean in 15 is something I started on Instagram in January last year. I posted short 15-second videos of 15-minute healthy recipes that can get you lean and used the #leanin15. It started as a bit of fun in my kitchen, with me sharing recipes. But I picked up followers and then I got a book deal. It’s more a lifestyle change, rather than a strict diet. It’s just me showing that you can still have meals out, have fun and still stay in shape as long as you cook your meals, take control of your meals and prep like a boss.

Which diet do you follow?

I hate diets. I’m the anti-diet guy. My philosophy is diets don’t work; lifestyle changes do. You can try a high-fibre diet, paleo, 5:2 but none of it is sustainable or very enjoyable. My thing is about balance and cooking real food and not eating out all the time or eating junk food. I hate calorie counting – it’s just old school. Different foods contain different things it’s not just about calories. I don’t want people standing on the scales every day, weighing themselves. It’s not a true measure of progress.

Tell us about your workout routine?

I promote and enjoy HIT cardio. I like high intensity training. I do a combo of 20 minutes of weights and then 20 minutes of cardio about four or five days a week. It helps you get fit and means you can eat more food, which I love. If I do it in the morning, I can eat more throughout the day. I always have two rest days a week.

Instagram sensation: Joe Wicks

What is the 90-Day plan?

I could see that people who followed me on social media were struggling with their diets. Some of the information out there in the dieting industry is really qUite terrible. I saw an opportunity, so I made this online plan, which is a 90-day plan of three cycles. Each cycle you get a new food and training schedule and you get an email coach, who is there if you need any extra support. I now have 53,000 people who have signed up for the plan and 465,000 Instagram followers. I can’t believe it. It’s global, and I’ve had no advertising. It is all just through word of mouth and the power of social media.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with motivation?

I’ve designed the 90-day plan so it’s really flexible. You only need to do 20 minutes of working out. Prep your food on Sunday so you’re set for the week. Ultimately we all have 24 hours in a day. There’s always someone out there busier than you. You can do it, you can make time. As long as you plan your meals, there is no way you can fail.

How has Instagram helped mould your fitness movement?

It means that anyone can follow it – you don’t even have to sign up to the plan. Just by following the Instagram you’ll be inspired by the transformation, the stories and get inspiration from the meals. Instagram has been really powerful for me. It’s amazing to see people completely changing their lifestyles down to my advice and I enjoy reading and sharing the testimonials on Instagram. A year ago I was running a boot camp and now I have thousands of followers, just by spreading my message on social media.

20 Instagrams for fitness motivation

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JOE'S 5 BEST FITNESS APPS

1. My Fitness Pal (free)

Track your food intake for the day and any exercise you do and My Fitness Pal will keep an eye on your fitness progress, weight loss and calorie intake.

2. Calorific (free)

Want to know how much 200 calories will get you? Calorific shows you exactly how much 200 calories is. Whether it’s three quarters of a doughnut or a big pile of fruit.

3. Map My Run (free)

This app will let you know how far you’ve run and will map out your route using GPS, so you can keep up with your fitness progress.

4. Couch to 5k (free)

Dust off your running shoes and get out on the track as this app walks, well runs, you through the training process until you’re ready to run 5k.

5. Can I Eat It?

£1.99 on ios

Make the weekly food shop less of a nightmare with this app, which tells you which foods you should avoid when you scan the barcode, as it checks with nutritional no-no’s like high salt.

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