Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Gabby Allen on Mental Resilience, Strength Training and Why Consistency Beats Perfection

Episode Date: July 7, 2026

Live from a special Just As Well event, Gemma Atkinson and Claire Sanderson sit down with fitness coach, entrepreneur and Celebrity SAS winner Gabby Allen. Gabby shares the experiences that shaped her mindset – from undergoing scoliosis surgery as a teenager to competing in some of television's toughest challenges. She explains why consistency matters more than perfection, how strength training transformed her confidence, and the simple habits that help her stay healthy when life gets busy. The conversation also covers: Why women shouldn't fear lifting weights The mental resilience she developed through dance, fitness and SAS Training for Hyrox Fitness myths that need to disappear The benefits of creatine for women Building confidence in the gym Why small daily actions matter more than all-or-nothing thinking What "well" really means to her Plus, Gabby answers audience questions on training with injuries, recovery, motivation and staying active through different stages of life. If you've ever struggled to stay consistent with your health goals, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to Just as well. I'm Claire Sanderson and today's episode, which is a special episode that we recorded live. Gemma and I did this together a couple of weeks ago and it's with Gabby Allen. The overriding theme is mental fortitude and resilience. Now I didn't know what to expect before I met Gabby. I've never watched an episode of Love Island. I do know her from Instagram and when we recorded I hadn't watched her on Celebrity SIS. But the woman I met far exceeded my expectations. This is a woman who has overcome physical adversity to get to where she is today. And she is a powerhouse mentally and physically. Some of her tales of what she achieved on Celebrity SAS are boggling, mind boggling, really quite inspiring. I was truly impressed by her and I know that Gemma was well. She's a girl's girl. I love that phrase, a girl's girl.

She's all about being strong and physical and empowering women and building a community of women who follow her on social media and also follow her app. Be prepared to be impressed because we were. This was a live recording. Please forgive any sound issues if there are any. And as always, like, share and subscribe to this podcast because we want to make it even bigger and better.

Enjoy. Gabby Allen, thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks so much for having me. Hello, everyone. Let's go back to the very start with you, Gabby, because loads of people know you for me, The Love Island, or S-A-S and all your socials.

Take us back to Baby Gabby. Like, when did things for you as a child, when did you start realizing, when I grow up, I want to be a PT, I want to be into fitness, I want to do all these things. How did it start for you? So I originally was a dancer. I, well, I've been told that apparently I just had farty,

much energy and my mum needed me to do something with it. So they put me into dancing at, I think it was even before my third birthday. And then that was just my life growing up. I was in dancing four to five days a week, doing competitions and stuff like competitively dancing. So obviously I was like, I want to be on the stage. That's like, it just was natural for me to be a performer, apparently. And then I moved down to London when I was 18 to go to drive. school and did my three-year degree in performing arts, graduated and went traveling, came back and was like, don't want to dance anymore. My mom was like, after all these years, all this money that I put into you and your training. And I don't know what happened. I loved it.

And I still love it to this day when I go to the theatre and my friends at dance, I still have that in me where I'd love to still do it. But I think, maybe kind of the passion ran out a little bit. And also I was working as a waitress and I was auditioning for roles. And I'd always get quite far, but then I wouldn't get the role or I'd get something it wasn't. Just never felt fully fulfilled. So I actually was like, I'm working as a waitress six days a week and I'm auditioning. It's not really happening.

And then my friend asked me to do if I wanted to take over and cover a dance fitness class. And that's when I kind of found, I think, my call. And I was like, this is actually amazing. I'm still moving. But it was just so much more rewarding for me. And then it was just, and then I did my PT course. And then it kind of just evolved from there, really. But all the years of dancing and all the money that went into it basically led to me being a personal trainer.

So the personal training predated Love Island. Yeah. Yeah. I was a personal trainer for a few years and then, like, mainly doing like dancing, dance fitness and things and then as I said I did my courses and started training women I've only ever trained women and then I got they asked me message me on Facebook and said do you want to do an audition for a love show I was like no I've got boyfriend at the time and then a year later they asked me again and it's because they found my fitness videos on Facebook that was back in

the day before Instagram was a thing because when you did love Ireland you were like one of the first on there, one of the first females who had muscle. Yeah. Like I remember when you came in, you came in as the bombshell. But everyone at home was going, oh my God, she's got muscle. She's not like everyone else in there. When you came out to that reaction, how did that feel? It must have been quite, yeah, I have.

I've trained, thank you. Yeah, I think, honestly, it was what gave me the confidence, I think, to actually go in there, especially because it is quite a daunting. experience knowing that everybody's going to be looking at you and judging you and I knew that anyway from obviously watching the show and how the public see it. But I think that being so confident in myself, fitness-wise, that's what gave me, you know, the minerals to go in there. And then when I came out, I found out that Gab's abs was trending. And I was like, yes. So I'm going to sell some ab programs now. This is sick. It did because I remember everyone was this

you know, we were speaking to a guest earlier on the pod today and Laura was explaining to us, she's here, and she was explaining to us how muscle in women can be sometimes seemed as bad. Don't get too bulky, don't get too big, don't get too strong. Yeah. But we're kind of championing against that now. It's about health and longevity and, you know,

the quality of life, not just how someone looks. Yeah. And I did find that obviously you get mixed reviews for anything that you do these days. And I did have people saying I was too much, you know, you're not very feminine. And there's been even since my first Love Island, there's been peaks and troughs in my body. I've been bulky at one point because I was really, really focusing on my strength training at that point. And then I've been times where I've been really lean.

And there's always, someone's always got a problem with it. You know, there's always someone that's going to say, oh, you're too skinny or, you know, you're too muscular. Or you're not, no one's, you're never going to make everyone happy. but I find that at different moments in my, over the last 10 years of being off the show, there's been a reason that I've been like that at that time and, you know, what's going on in the rest of my life. But I just think as long as you're happy in yourself,

then sod them. As the negativity, and I'm assuming some trawling from what you're saying, well, everyone gets trolled. It's almost a badge of honour, isn't it? But has the negativity and the trolling ever impacted your sense of sense? and one being happy with one's skin. Yeah. When I first came off the show all those years ago,

I'd never had people comment on my photos, you know, negative stuff. At first, it makes you think, oh, God, are my shoulders too big? Someone made an Instagram account called Gabby Allen's belly button. So now I have a complex about my belly button. That is one that has stuck with me.

Don't look at it online. So, yeah, there's a step. definitely things that kind of do stick with you. But as I said, I know that I feel my most confident when I've been training. And when I, it's not all about how you look and stuff, but when I look a certain way in my clothes

and, you know, I like having, like strong shoulders. You know, people say, wow, you've got like, you know, hench back. And I'm like, yeah, because I worked hard for that. So I think there's definitely impacts, like the belly button thing with some things. but then I think I've now learned to have a bit of a word of myself and say, yeah, but do I feel good? Because these people might never have lifted a weight in the life, you know?

They're just jealous. There's nothing more amazing and more powerful than lifting heavy weight. I just love looking around and going, I'm lifting heavier than you. Yeah. It's so good. You know what? I love now. Even in like my gym that I go to is a proper bodybuilder gym.

Like the music's, you can't hear yourself think. and everyone is very zoned in, full of women. Love it. And back in the day, that wasn't the case. And I just find I love it now how we are starting to build that confidence and momentum with women going to the gym. It's so important and empowering. Because when I go in, I'm like, yes, she's lifting heavy. It makes me want to do more, you know?

And with women training, it's daunting for, I think, a lot of women who have never set foot in a gym or you've never, you know, had the confidence to even do a class with other women. But you talk a lot online about being consistent as opposed to being perfect. You don't have to show up every single day, go 100%. It's little changes that if you do daily will make a difference. And I think, I can't speak for every woman, but I think that for me is the easier approach. I love that.

They all or nothing approach. I don't think works because we're busy. Women are literally so busy. We haven't got the time to dedicate 100% every single day. so just doing those little things do you find when you're training female clients they come to you with maybe too much on the plate and it's

what I can do in the time given yeah and you know when I mentioned about how my body's changed over the years that is literally down to that sometimes my work schedule is so crazy last week I only trained once and you know there's been times that I haven't been able to train at all like in Love Island they give you a couple of dumbbells

and that's not what I'm usually trained with so there's been peaks and troughs and how I look or how I feel, whatever, but it's more about staying consistent and just doing what you can at the time. I do have people that come to me and they say,

I want to look like this, like how do I do that? And I'm like, okay, what's the time frame here? Because if you go, the way to get from in to be is by being consistent and making smaller adjustments first, finding your feet with those and the confidence with those. Because

I mean, once again, I can't speak for everybody, but I find that once you've done one thing or maybe two things that adjust them a little bit, once you've done that for a month or so, then you're like, oh, this actually feels really good. And then it makes you want to do more. It's the same with progressive overload, lifting heavier weights. It's the same. I would say progressive overload with weights is the same as progressive overload with changing things. That's how you get to the long game.

Because aesthetic really can't be a strong enough why either. You need to really embrace. strength training into your weekly schedule, you need to really accept the other bountiful benefits, such as longevity, reduced risk of osteoporosis. It's the muscle of health. It's the organ of health. Muscle is the one that will keep you healthier for longer. 100%. You know what I learned yesterday? Apparently, the stronger your quads are, the longer you live. I'm here. Don't skip leg day. My father used to say to me, even though, younger you've got sturdy sturdy thighs which is his way of saying I've got big thighs but now it's a

badge of honor yeah so you're gonna live forever how do you keep discipline in terms of like you travel a lot you work a lot hotels it's how do you like when it comes to non-negotiables for you if you are having a busy few months or whatever how do you remain discipline while still enjoying your time because obviously again it's you've got to live your life as well haven't you yeah and i think that is really important and that's kind of what i say to my community to um it is just about i know it's cliche but it's just about doing what you can where you can so when i go on holiday and the gym the hotel gyms aren't great what can you do with what you have in there yeah okay you're probably not going to get a pb you're probably not going to run the fairest that you run but as long as you're doing

something, you're just going to keep it ticking over so that when you do get back, there's nothing worse. It's normally the Christmas period for me where I do nothing. Then I have to come back after two weeks of doing nothing. And I'm like, oh my God, it's like the first time I've ever picked up and waiting my life. So as long as you go on a holiday, I'm like, oh, at least I'm still doing something. Even if it's a 30-minute workout, I do classes with my girls so that they, if they can't get out, because their partners are working on weeks, so they can't get to the gym and things like that at least they've got something to do at home um so i think it's just the non-negotiables for me are just make sure you move every day or even if it's not if you're used to train in five days a week and

you can only do three great do three and also i just have to stress what makes me feel like i've stayed on track more than anything is how i eat like that is once again christmas time kind of just that to you where you're like oh god but as long as you've got like the fundamentals of getting you watering and getting your protein and then that's all you can do but on holiday on the first day I end up eating my body weight in bread and then I can't poo for a week. I'm like why do

that every time? But other than that I still eat my protein drink with water so you know balance. We had a great podcast guest for our last live Leslie Kenny and she is the founder of the Oxford Longivity Centre so hugely

knowledgeable on all things health and longevity and she's a big proponent of micro movements. So she said, if you can't fit workouts into your day, fit movement into your day. And I didn't realise I was already doing this because I will just suddenly do scots at home.

You know, oh, I'll just do ten squats now. I'll keep the 8KG weights in the living room. So I'll just pick them up while I'm watching TV. And she says that's the secret to health, just fitting in movement when you can. It doesn't necessarily have to be 60 minutes slamming it in the gym. Although that is great.

it's not always possible. One of my tips for my girls is that if you can't go out and if you don't want to do a workout, clean a room in your house. And the amount of people that have said to me, my bathroom has never been so clean in my entire life. But it's because they clean the bathroom once or twice a week because at least you're moving.

I don't know about you. Maybe it's because my bathroom's mingin. But I got a sweat on every time I'm cleaning that. Or who were the stairs? Yeah. Oh, God, did I do that. Henry's Kevry, yeah, I've got a Hetty, not a Henry,

I've got Henry's sister. But yeah, if you're hoover in the stairs, you do get out of breath. Proper workout. So the opposite of doing nothing is doing a high rocks, which you are doing on Sunday, your first high rocks.

Yeah, I've lost the plot. Well, I agree, actually. How's that training gone for a high rocks? So my brother has been qualified for world champs, a few, world champs, whatever it's called. I'll know once I'm into that like clan I'll know all the terms

but right now I'm a complete novice and I'm going in like a deer in headlights but he was like the strength is there you could do the strength all day long it's the running I love running but I run for not to kill people basically

get out of bed and like I hate everyone today let's go for a run so I basically have just been really trying to make my running better been doing intervals which are horrible and longer runs, which are also horrible. You know, I do love running, but the Zone 2 runs,

so anyone that doesn't know what Zone 2 running is, I assume you probably do, but it's like the longer runs between 45 to 90 minutes, if you can bear it. It's awful. With your heart rate, like so, and it's just so boring. I ring on my mates that live overseas, and they're like, oh, on a run again, are you?

I'm like, yeah, please just talk to me. I need someone to talk to me. But yeah, basically, I've just been, trying to improve my running time because I don't know about you. Have you done high rocks? Oh, no. The same reason they're running.

Like the strength, I'd be able to do, I think, hope. But the run, like, I've got a 10K coming up and I did my, like, a little bit of running recently. And I just hate it. I can't, I do it on the treadmill. I do it outside. I listen to a podcast, but I just can't. I can't get my head around.

No. And I've heard. that it's a runners race high rocks because it's eight kilometres of running. That's supposed to be your recovery, isn't it? The run bit is when you're supposed to be recovering. We've all lost the plot.

Anyone that does high rocks. You're trying it. That's the thing. And I was going to ask you about your mental resilience because did anyone see SSAS when Gabby was just like outlifting the guys. So there is a,

you must have a mental resilience as well as physical to not only do that show how you did, but to now, you know, we're talking about people being nervous going in the gym. You're taking on something you've never done. Like you said, daring headlights, but you're doing it. Where does that mental resilience come from? I actually think I signed up to the high rocks because it's just the next thing closest to SES.

I'm not going to have the chance to do that again anytime soon. But I think when it comes to being in that environment, I just have a switch that goes on and I have to prove myself. and it's also just being surrounded by men as well that are doing it I'm just like, want to prove that we can do the same as what men can. And we can. There was three girls at the end. So props to us. And yeah, every time that it got hard,

obviously there were some things that naturally being five foot nothing and then six foot man that weighs probably double my weight, there's going to be things that he would have found easier. But I tell you what, I put my app. blood, sweat and tears into it. And I was really proud of myself because there was moments where other women in there weren't necessarily, athletically capable.

Everyone has to pull your weights in different ways. But there was moments where I could do literally the same as the man. And I was like, this is so good for me. Do you think they maybe underestimated you at the start of the process? Yeah, they were calling me twinkle toes. Oh, rude.

Yeah. What was the most difficult challenge? It all looks. to me to be honest that's that's one show i'd rather go on well we're trying to get me on strictly aren't we it's uh we're putting it out into the universe i don't think my invite is coming to be honest gabby we're trying but just manifesting manifesting it it'll happen um but celebrity sas or just sas generally looks like the most mental show when you have to jump off should i put you forward for sas no you sure you'd be good no i think i think you would be do not they've asked me to do it

twice but they filmed it. They do it from July to November, the ones I was asked to do. And it's when Strictly's on. So obviously, Gorker's away. So I can't say to my mum, can you have the kids for three weeks while I go in S-A-S and Gorker goals dancing?

Can you imagine? Yeah. So I said if you do one earlier in the year, then I'd do that one. Yeah, you'd be amazing. I think a show that you both should go on is Celebrity Gladiators. I'd love to do that.

Yes. I'd be good at that. Yeah. But not as a guest. I want to be a gladiator. Well, you know, start small. See, that's what I'm like with everything. Have you always been mentally tough?

Like, as a kid and stuff, were you always, or was it something you just learn as you got older? I think with competitively dancing since I was younger, that's probably where it was instilled in me. And as much as my parents and my nan, Nana Beryl, she was also called Tinkabell. We were both called Tinkerbell when we was younger. they would big me up, you know, really proud of me,

take me to all my dancing lessons. But if I got in the car and I didn't win, or if I just wasn't as good as I could have been, my nan would have been like Amanda was way better than you. Oh no. She was, though, to be fair, this girl, because Amanda was amazing. But I just feel like it kind of gave me the drive

to always try and be the best. And like that being said, they, as I said, they were always so proud of me. And I know that I did do. them, you know, just, I did myself justice. I wasn't crying on the way home of every competition. But I think that, and then when I, when I was younger, my dad passed away. So then I think when that just gave me another kind of kick up the ass to be like,

show him, you know, from up there that I'm like, my dad passed away as well. I was 17 and he was 52. Oh my God. It's a similar age to you. And it does, you get a mental switch. Switch where you're like, okay, life's short and also big man's watching me now. So you've got to do it. Exactly.

And I think because they're so proud of us anyway. They were just the fact that like when you achieve stuff, you just know that they've been buzzing for you. You go to pick up the phone. Yeah, I'd be like, oh, do you want to come in the pub with me? And he'd like, take me in and like, you know, like show me off to his mates and be like, she's done, she competed in this competition this week and just be so proud.

So I feel like winning an SAS, it would have been like beaming down having a beer with his mates. So yeah, I feel that. We had Fury from Gladiators on here and her dad died very unexpectedly. just before Christmas, and you said something really beautiful to her. You said, but he'll always be young.

Because she said... Yeah, because she was obviously devastated, bless her. But I always view death as like, sorry to go morbid, but I always see it as a temporary separation, not a goodbye forever. And their energy's just gone somewhere else and when it's our time, we'll be with them again. But the one thing I said to her

is what I take from my dad die and he's forever 52. I will never see him as an old man. he'll always be six foot two big build smiley happy like I'm not never going to see him age I love that I can't imagine him no I'll never see him with grey hair or struggling to walk or anything it was just like 52 living his best life somewhere else yeah be showing off somewhere guaranteed that's that's super comforting because um Jodie unesley fury she was saying that she was just working out with her dad a week before yeah we passed away and he passed He went on a hike on his own

and just didn't come back. Oh my God. That's hard, isn't it? Because I think, well, going morbid, but at least I kind of like got to say goodbye and stuff, you know. Another challenge you faced when you were younger is you had scoliosis and you ended up having an operation to correct it. How old are you when that happened?

12. So I think, I kind of forgot to mention that. I think that was another thing because I was not to blame my own trumpet, but I was really good dancing. So to come out, I had to get back to where I was. I wanted to still be as good as I was before. And yeah, I couldn't do the crab anymore. Is scoliosis to do the spine?

Yeah, so look, I've got a scar down my back. Can you see it? Oh, right, yeah, yeah, yeah. Basically, my spine, the top curvature was, it was 70-something degrees, and then within a month when I went in for another checkup, but it'd actually grown to 85. So it was substantially like bigger.

Well, more curved. And they were like, we just need to operate ASAP because I was obviously in puberty and just growing at a very fast rate. So they had to straighten out. So I've got rods in my back on either side. They took out all my ribs on my left side, which I always find very confusing because people are like, if you take your ribs out, they do the grow back.

But if you think about, I'm not going to explain my theory, but basically they grow back. So, but now they're like, inwards rather than outwards on my left side. Your ribs grow back. Yeah. So, yeah, I had my ribs moved on this side and apparently it's something to do

if they take out a certain part of it, they become more malleable. And then, because I was going through puberty, they grew back. Wow, wow. I know. Don't test me on that scientifically. So I have a hybrid.

You can feel them if you want. Yeah, I'm a robot. Wow. But yeah, so I, they've fused my lumbar vertebrae I've only got two for movement at the bottom and

honestly it hasn't changed well obviously it has changed my life but it hasn't impacted anything that I've done other than the stronger I am the better I feel. If I don't train then I can feel myself going wonky and like literally

leaning over because my core isn't strong but as soon as I'm strong again I feel better. Do you struggle to train your core because of this? My right side is so much more dominant than my left.

So deadlift, everything I have to do heavier on my left side just because naturally my right side takes over. And I have to do an extra set of everything with my left glute and left side of abs, which is really annoying,

but I have to do it. But it got gab's abs. Yeah, exactly. Got me something. Yeah. But that again just shows the changes and the adaptations you're making so that you can still train to your best ability.

You know, it's not held you back in any way, shape, or form. Exactly. The only thing it did stop was I wanted to do more classical dancing and then I had to go into more jazz hand stuff because they won't even look at you if you have any sort of metal in there, I suppose. But it's good because I enjoyed jazz hands more. You said jazz hands? What did you mean?

It's a theatre. Oh, yeah, fun. Loved it. It was like a Kaz can. And she, when she did a ballroom, because of the same issue she had with her spine, she couldn't get in the ballroom hold for similar reasons. Yeah. And then she went strictly.

And then she won strictly. I made that amazing. Yeah. So you should go on strictly as well. I would love that. But you can have it first. They're not going to want me, guys. I'm just, I'm being realistic.

When it comes to training and myths, there's a lot of myths about females training that if you go to the gym twice a week, for just three months, you'll end up bulky and looking like a man, that if we have creatine will end up bulky. What is the biggest myth that you've heard? What's the biggest myth that annoys you the most about females training? Those two are so annoying. Like, the I post about creatine on my story.

I would probably have to say, actually, it's the myths around creatine just because I absolutely love it. I think it's the, apart from the spermidine that you just told me about, I'll have to try that. but I just feel like everyone everybody should be using creating especially women it literally has benefits for the younger

the perimenopausal the menopausal and the fact that there's I mean we're trying now but there's so much so little knowledge around it up until these days it's crazy just because it's like for cognitive function as well isn't it and we're what Leslie was saying since she takes it if she's jet lagged yeah

just she needs to if low energy throughout the day she takes it to give herself a bit of a pep up. I find that if I don't take it, then I can feel a difference in my body. And also the way my body responds to it as well when I am training. But as you said, it's not just about the...

And I try and say this to me more. I'm trying to get me more to take it to. But it's... They're like, well, what about if I bloat? I'm like, even if you do bloat for a couple of days or a week, it will pass as long as you keep going with it. What are the main benefits of creatine for anyone that's listening or watching that may not be taking it or have not brought into all the hype? So the main benefit to creatine are it helps improve your muscle mass.

It helps improve recovery. It helps improve your joints and ligaments being way more mobile. It helps with cognitive function. It helps with your mood. It helps with sleep. We can literally be here all day. Just take it. Listen to us and bloody take it.

And for anyone who wanted to train with you, you have your own, your training platform. How can people find that? So it's called shape up with Gabby and shape up with Gabby.com. And we're a female only community have been since when it was born at the beginning of lockdown. Shock. And I've seen such amazing progress with people that I've had going on from the beginning of COVID up until like, recently. And what I love is that everybody, yeah, we're on different journeys, but it's such a safe space for people to share. You don't have to. I'm just talking about the community element of it.

I just find that when women come together, we're way stronger as a team. So when I do my kind of may shreds and challenges and we all kind of work on something at the same time, but at our own pace, it's people get better results. Because, you know, when you're posting about it or where you're, I've got people that have been bridesmaids that have met each other and shape up community. Oh, that's nice. Bridesmaids, go on holiday together, you know, take their kids on holiday together. It's

amazing to see. So not just are you going to get fit and strong, but you can also make some mates. I don't know if you need any. But yeah, it's shapeupagery.orgavri.com.com.com. And then you can choose whether to do a program with me or a shred with me or a challenge whatever fits your lifestyle, really. It's nice that it's women only as well.

Because, you know, there's big things now about training around your side, and if it's a female community, there's not going to be anyone ashamed or embarrassed to say, do you know what, I'm out today because I'm on my period and I feel like this. And also... I'm in the right mess today with my period. I'm just like, oh my God.

It's the worst. Yeah, it is. But in the app as well, there's a cycle tracker. There's lots of different attributes to it that I think just are really helpful. I need lists and I need checklists to get me through life in general. So it's a nice little hope to have in one place.

And yeah, only women because we're better than men. Before we hand over for some audience questions, so please do have a think if you have anything you'd like to ask Gabby or Gemma and myself. You are a picture of health sat before me today. But what does Well really mean to you? Oh, I like this question. I think well means to me waking up in the morning

and being excited for what's to come knowing that I'm going to be able to move my body whether it's strength training going out with my dog just having the option to do that is so we're so privileged so

if you can't move your body just move it and then also well to me is eating that makes you feel good but also that tastes frigging good

that is one of my main things. I'm a proper foody and I love all elements of food and I love a spicy marg but listen you can have it all so. Yeah, it's moderation, isn't it with everything?

Yeah. There's no like, we were saying earlier you don't have to cut every single thing out you don't have to go full in it's about balance and fitting it into your lifestyle and what works.

Exactly. And that's what I mean about the spicy mark thing. It's like, well as also having fun and just like you know whether waking up in the world morning and being excited for my day is because I've just got a very wholesome day or whether

it's because I did glutes the day before I've got a glute pump. I'm going to put me tight jeans on and go out. You know? Why not? So it's all about that. We have some quickfire questions that we ask all our guests. Quick answers. Oh God. So you're a foodie you've just told us

and Gemma and I are stacking up our dinner invitations and we're coming to your house. Okay. What are you going to cook us? I make do you both eat meat? I do. I eat chicken occasionally, nothing else. Do you not eat fish?

Do you eat fish? Not really, no. What if she's in Spain? If I'm in Spain, I'm a bit of a snob. It depends where it's wild caught, yes, if it's from a farm, no, but I could bore you all with it. Aldi? And I've not had red meat since I was in my 20s. He has bored me about it.

I know. Let's just call a vegetarianist. I can't bring myself to eat a cow, but I do eat beef spleen capsules. Right. I just can't chew the cow, but I can just swallow, shut my eyes and done. She can go on all day about this. Okay, well, let's pretend that you do. I'll eat beef for one night at Gabby's.

I make a unbelievable. It's kind of a personal dish, but it's basically a blend between a chili but more saucy than a chili. Oh, okay. And I add a bit of pasta in there, chili in there. I basically add everything that's in my fridge.

and it always works out quite well so being out and sustainable using all your ingredients yeah question two what's one thing

and one thing only that you would take to a desert island if you were going for one year sun cream is that boring no it's practical

sensible it is a bit boring but it's sensible and practical can I tell her what Jessie Jay said I would say something else but

well I don't know Jesse Jay said she would take a vibrator That's what I was going to say I said dildo but I said I've never met these people before I said my dog what did you say

I can't remember I said not to my children I ruled those out I can't remember what I said it was a long time ago Someone today wanted Chan and Tatum Yes Oh I would take him Yeah that he could keep Can't believe I actually thought of a dildo before my dog

That's bad isn't it I was straight for the dog Orgasms are good for your health Coffee or wine Coffee what's the last thing that you did that made your belly laugh well I was filming celebs go dating wasn't I

and there was a lot of funny moments in that really yeah on the first episode someone brought me a goldfish oh in like a carrier bag or like a bag don't worry it's alive we have it in the agency but I literally was like is this actually happening so yeah that was one of them and is it like you really don't know

anything about the person before you go in? No. You're not panicking? Yes. Yeah, I was going to say, I'd be like, frightened to death. Literally, I have never drank so many spicy margarisers in my life. Was that more, was that more scary than SAS? I would do SAS again.

And what's the one thing someone can do to make themselves feel a bit better about themselves? If I ever wake up and need to feel better, I mean it's kind of my average. day anyway but I just go outside straight away. I can't even put my socks on though without my dog looking at me like, I'm going for a walk so it's non-negotiable but I always feel better. I don't know that's so cliche but

get yourself outside. Some people would say take your socks off and put your feet in the grass. Yeah. Yeah. Haven't done it. Might try it. No, it's not raining. There's research 10 minutes of sun on your face in the morning and set you up for the day. Yeah. No. It makes you so much better. Exactly. Well, Gabby,

thank you so much. We are going to open it up for audience questions now, if anyone has any questions for Gabby or Pajemma and myself. Please don't be shy. So it was interesting hearing about your back issues because I have slip discs, spinal stenosis and like a whole lot of nerve damage going on. How do you even like get started

because like I've basically got to the point where I can actually walk now after like a whole period of not being able to walk down to a bus stop or anything? Amazing. So like how do you even start getting fit basically when you've got back issues? Well it's funny you say that

because my mom has actually got three collapsed discs in the top of her back and she has to go in for an operation for a couple more. And when she isn't able to do anything, she said, but I can't do anything. So what do I do? I would honestly start. The fact that you're able to walk now is amazing. Congrats to you.

So keep that going. Like keep up in your steps as you as and when you can. You know, obviously don't overload yourself. But I think just like progressive overload with that over like, see how you go after two weeks. Or can I maybe do a thousand? more today, things like that. And honestly, resistance bans, I would say for beginners are the best because you can choose how heavy you want to go or not to go. You can get them on Amazon.

You can get like different strengths of them. And there's loads of different things on YouTube or I do loads of classes like that too. But just start doing something to see how it feels. And then as I said earlier, once you kind of get the confidence in doing something and more than that, you go, oh, I feel that shoulder that I haven't felt in ages. It'll give you the confidence to kind of make you want to do more. So just start small. And yeah, good luck with it. I reckon you're going to smash it.

Hi, yeah. I just wanted to know, how can you reverse bat wings? Or can you not? Bat wings. Bat wings are we talking about? What a bat wing? Bingo wings. Yeah, bingo wings, I would call them.

Well, this all comes down to body fat percentage, doesn't it really? And also the muscle mass that you have in your arms. What I would say is, rather than focusing on reducing the back wing, I would focus on building your, like, sculpting your arms and defining that way. And then maybe the thing is, you can't spot reduce fat. So if you was going to a deficit and your body will then be using your fat stores, but you can't be like, get the bat wings. But eventually, depending on how your body works,

it would get to that point, but you would have to be in a deficit for a substantial amount of time to actually see the difference. But I think the most thing I would say is deficit and then just get your arms working, get some tricepacks in there, some overhead shoulder stuff.

And I think within, I would say within three months, you would start to see some definition. Hello, I just was picking up on your personality. You're so like to turn. and you've got such a strong mindset and doing all of the fitness that you do, how do you make sure you look after yourself with that

because I can see those sorts of personality traits in myself where I can take it too far and never know when the boundary is to stop because I'm like, okay, like my muscles are hurting, that's great. That means I'm like, you know, I've got doms, which means like there's going to be more like benefits and I'm going to get stronger or you do a good run and where do you draw the limits with yourself

and how do you look after yourself with all of the exercise that you do? This is a good question because I would admittedly say it's kind of a work in progress. I am full on all the time because that's how I love to be and I've always been like that. I told you my mum literally was like needed to do something with me from a small age. but when you said before about when what can you do for one thing to help yourself basically I have to actively take days off my phone, off training, off everything

and plan them into my week otherwise a week goes by and I'm like oh I haven't had a rest day or you know I haven't had a minute off social media so I hopefully it will get easier for me to just sit still and do nothing but at the moment I actually have to plan my kind of like chill out times.

But I will say that that's just for a kind of mental pause. But when it comes to my training, I definitely have got better at taking rest days, especially I think with leading up to high rocks and stuff. I can't believe I'm doing it. But I've noticed that if I don't take recovery days, then my next sessions are just crap. And it's because I'm sore.

And it's because I haven't given my body time to recognize what's going on. digest it and then we go again. So basically until it comes like kind of autopilot, planning breasts. I don't know whether that's a good answer or not,

but that's what I do at the moment. And it's like you have to remember as well you don't your muscles don't grow when you're training them. It's the recovery. So if you're not recovering, your muscles aren't going to repair. So you can do all the training every single day and it's pointless

because they'll only repair when they're resting and when they're being fueled. So those days where you take off, rather than see them as I'm taking it off, I'm doing nothing, it's I'm taking it off, my muscles are growing. They're growing back stronger and my body's getting better because I'm fueling.

So I think if you flip that switch as well, it's part of your training. It's a recovery day, which is part of training. And the recovery days, I used to, I think it comes from my dancing days too when I was kind of just full on all the time. But in my recovery days, I actually don't do active recovery.

I actually just like chill out. I might go to Stainsbury's, but other than that, just chill. Yeah, when you're training, I think it's better to follow a plan where it's structured and it's not sporadic and you're much more likely to get results.

So if you look at the Women's Health app, which members get full access to, there's training plans on there, Laura Hoggins, who is in the audience tonight, put one on there recently, build and burn, but also Gabby's app as well. There'll be actual plans to follow on there, which tell you when to rest.

And so you're not training the same muscle on two days consecutively, et cetera. I just wanted to pick up on the career team point because I basically bought some and didn't know what to do with it. Love it. Because I know, I think, Jeremy, you've talked about taking it in the morning with your coffee. I generally just drink water in the morning,

so I've sort of been blocked. Yeah, I don't put it in my coffee. I mean, I just dry scoop mine. So I literally just, yeah, just straight in and then down. But you can put it in water and mix it. Put it in your smoothie, put it in your porridge, whichever. But I just in the morning, straight in and down. I can't taste it.

With all supplements, if I don't take them in the mornings with some food, I forget, and then I'm like, God, I didn't you take that? But also with creatine, that's hardcore, by the way. Do you not do that? I can't taste mine. No, thanks. But you can't get, I take tablets. So, I mean, they are a bit hefty as well, but you can get gummies and stuff now.

Obviously, the most bioavailable is the powder versions or tablets like the next best. But you can't get gummies and just things that are a little bit tastier. That is so hardcore. I'm going to try that tomorrow and let you know. I can't taste mine. Yeah, but you were drinking what literally was pond water. It was a pond water. It was.

It was. It was. And she said, oh, try this. It's lovely. It's greens. She'll really vomit. It was literally just greens. I can't taste it.

I was like, that's just gross. Hi, I've got a question for Gabby. I really enjoyed watching you on SAS. It's one of my favorite series to watch. Love that. Question for you. What was your favorite challenge and why? I know they're really hard.

So I loved the beastings, but I don't think you actually saw much of those. But it's basically, as you try and like get people out, they do these things called beastings in between the tasks where they make you do, So there's one. We were on a hill like this. And this was after the Absalom one, I think,

they made us do 20, we've got your berg on, which is like 20 KG. You do 20 burpees at the bottom, run up this hill that's like that. And then do 20 squat jumps at the top. Run halfway down the hill, do 20 burpees run down there.

And basically just do that multiple times. But this is where I thrive. And this is where I was like, you know, I'm better than all of you. But so that's what I loved because I felt like I could really like push myself and prove myself in that. But then I think my favorite, my favorite challenge has to be, do you remember the one where

we were going up and mountainside and everybody was carrying ammo? And it was like hundreds of KG of these like metal like boxes or whatever they were. And at the end of it, I remember we got into the car, my team one obviously. We got into the car and I was like, oh my God, that was amazing. And everyone was looking at me like, that was. that was hell but I was just like what have we just done we did a 5K run

to get to the bottom of the hillside and then we carried all of that shit up the hill and stood at the top I was just completely mesmerized and shocked that we just

done something that brutal and but amazing so probably those ones where I just feel like all of us because there was moments where I think Jack at the time was like

felt like he couldn't anymore. Even Danny was like, and the fact that we all got there and all got to the top, it was just a moment that I was really proud of us all because those were tough times.

And then I absolutely hated anything to do with water. We'd have let the team down on the run, aren't we? Well, I'm just thinking, are we a bit embarrassed that you and I keep on refusing to do a high rocks

and then we listen to that. I'm doing not high rocks. No, we're not doing it. No. You can't even dry scoop creatine. No, mine do a high rocks. Well, I think we're going to wrap up

the evening but gabby i thoroughly enjoyed that it was yeah thank you firing and so much fun listening to you talk about all the mental fitness things that you do yeah thank you for coming in and thank you all for coming as well and supporting us at women's health we really really appreciate it and we're so proud of this podcast so please share us fire and wide and subscribe and we've got uh gabby and more guests come into just as well so thank you thank you guys thank you guys