Simone Puddu Personal Training

Simone Puddu Personal Training Welcome to Simone Puddu Personal Training. I help real people — especially those overcoming pain, rehab, or burnout — build real strength.

Wim Hof Method Certified Instructor
I help YOU to control your health and fall in love with your body

Full coaching is for:
- stress management
- fat loss
- muscle build
Contact me if you are motivated to change � From in-person sessions in Malta to fully guided online programs, I offer transformation, not just training.
👇 Scroll down for success stories, real-life wins, and simple insights.
🎯 Ready to start? Message me or book a free consult.

“Where your attention goes, your muscle follows” is more than a catchy phrase. In a 2018 study, two groups trained their...
04/06/2026

“Where your attention goes, your muscle follows” is more than a catchy phrase. In a 2018 study, two groups trained their biceps with the exact same exercises. One focused on squeezing the muscle; the other simply lifted the weight. After eight weeks, the focused group almost doubled the muscle growth in their elbow flexors (12.4% vs. 6.9%).

And it goes deeper than that. Mental practice alone has been shown to increase strength by 35% in finger muscles and 13.5% in elbow flexors. Those are huge changes from the brain directing the nervous system more effectively.

This isn’t magic, and context matters. Internal focus (thinking about the target muscle) seems especially helpful for hypertrophy, particularly in upper-body muscles and isolation work. At very heavy loads, that advantage fades. For maximal strength or when learning a movement, focusing on moving the bar well may work better.

Over years of coaching, I’ve seen how much difference real concentration makes. Sometimes the only thing separating a completed rep from a missed one is where the client’s attention is. If your mind is still at work, with the kids, or on tomorrow’s to-do list, your nervous system is not fully invested in the set.

For muscle growth and stubborn body parts, watch and feel the target muscle working. For heavy compound lifts and endurance, focus on moving the load cleanly and maintaining technique. Attention is leverage. Use it. Do you consciously use mind-muscle connection in your training?

Do you rush through rest periods to save time? When you only take 30-60 seconds between heavy sets, fatigue piles up and...
02/06/2026

Do you rush through rest periods to save time? When you only take 30-60 seconds between heavy sets, fatigue piles up and you’re forced to drop reps or weight, blunting strength gains. Strength thrives on high intensity, and intensity needs enough recovery. Resting 2-4 minutes between heavy sets lets you maintain both load and quality. Short on time? Pair exercises for different muscle groups so you can work one while the other recovers. You keep your rest and still get more done. Efficient, not rushed. How long are your rest breaks?

The exercise itself is rarely the limiting factor. More often, the real issue is how you use sets, reps, rest periods an...
01/06/2026

The exercise itself is rarely the limiting factor. More often, the real issue is how you use sets, reps, rest periods and intensity. Over years of coaching women, I’ve seen two people perform the exact same squat or bench press and get completely different results because one applied the variables correctly and the other did not.

Once technique is solid, whether you choose a cable fly or a bench press matters much less than how hard you work, how many reps you perform, and how much recovery you allow between sets. Intensity is probably the most important and least understood variable in women’s training. Some women stop far too early. Others attack every set like it is a life-or-death event. Both approaches hold back progress.

The biggest breakthroughs happen when a client learns how to apply the right level of effort within a well-designed program. That means following the prescribed sets, reps and rest periods, and being mentally present while lifting. Sometimes I can see in a client’s eyes that she is still thinking about work, kids, or the hundred things waiting at home. It happens. But if your nervous system is elsewhere, your body cannot fully commit to the task.

Stop searching for the magical exercise you saw online. Focus on executing the one in front of you with attention and intent. Sets, reps, rest and intensity: most of your results are hidden there. What variable do you pay the most attention to? Tell me your story and let other women know these truths, too!

Partial reps feel harder in the moment—but training joints through their full range of motion actually builds strength a...
31/05/2026

Partial reps feel harder in the moment—but training joints through their full range of motion actually builds strength and muscle. Taking ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and elbows through their complete range each week reduces injury risk and makes each rep more effective. Studies back this up: a systematic review concluded that full‑range training confers better hypertrophy in the lower body than partial ROM. A recent meta‑analysis found full or long ROM tends to enhance strength, power and muscle size, though the advantage is small. It also showed that partial ROM at long muscle lengths can boost hypertrophy and that strength gains are specific to the range you train. This is important: you can get monstrous a 1/2 squat and still suck at a real on. Another trial on untrained women found that partial ROM at the initial phase of a knee extension produced greater regional hypertrophy at certain muscle regions than full ROM, while varied ROM yielded similar or better strength gains. The takeaway: choose your goal and program accordingly. For general strength and longevity, prioritize full ROM to build longer, stronger muscles that are less prone to injury. For targeted hypertrophy, incorporate partial reps at long muscle lengths on stubborn muscles - better as "last hit" in the session. Think of your muscles as a piece of rope: training through the full length weaves strength throughout, whereas only working mid‑range leaves frayed ends.
Save this and apply it to your next session.

Most hear “creatine water weight” and immediately think bloating > water retention > cellulite! That sells you creams bu...
30/05/2026

Most hear “creatine water weight” and immediately think bloating > water retention > cellulite! That sells you creams but it is not science.

Yes, creatine loading can increase total body water in the first week. That part is real.
Some people notice the scale move, some feel a bit fuller, and some call that bloat. But the important question is where that water is going and whether the creatine is doing something useful.

SLC6A8 :
- SLC6A8 is the creatine transporter.
- it depends on sodium and chloride to move creatine into muscle and brain cells
- if SLC6A8 is not working well, then you are paying for nothing: the delivery system is broken.
You could eat, drink - even smoke or sniff it for what I care (don't, please): creatine won't work. You would just get thirst as hell and probably dizzy.

So, what I am interested in is:
- does the transporter has what it needs?
- does the dose actually serve the goal?

That is the difference between random supplementation and using a tool properly.
If your creatine protocol has been all dose and no strategy, you can fix it. We can.

My DMs are open.

If your goal is better recovery, deeper sleep, and less inflammation - the effective dose is 10 grams of creatine per da...
29/05/2026

If your goal is better recovery, deeper sleep, and less inflammation - the effective dose is 10 grams of creatine per day. Not the 5g most labels suggest. That standard recommendation is built around basic muscle retention, not how your body actually feels day to day. When you bump to 10g, the difference in inflammation and recovery quality becomes noticeable. If you have been taking creatine and wondering why nothing feels different anymore - your dose is likely too low. Save this so you remember it next time you restock.

As you age, your body doesn’t just lose “muscle” in general. It tends to lose fast-twitch fibres first (the fibres most ...
29/05/2026

As you age, your body doesn’t just lose “muscle” in general. It tends to lose fast-twitch fibres first (the fibres most responsible for strength, size and power). Older adults can have 10-40% smaller Type II fibres, while slow-twitch fibres are more preserved. Basically: lose those fibres and you start getting weak in the classic “old” way.

That’s why training with effort matters. Heavy loads wake those fibres up early. Moderate loads can also recruit them, but only when you take the set close to failure. Light weights done far from failure? Mostly a waste of time if your goal is strength or muscle.

For adult women, intensity is not optional. Heavy sets around 80-85% 1RM for 3-6 reps recruit fast fibres immediately. Moderate loads around 60-70% need to be pushed close to failure. The key is effort.

In my coaching, I help women match the training style to the goal: strength, muscle growth or endurance. Your big, strong muscle fibres are like workers who don’t show up unless the job demands them. So make the job demand them. Are you lifting heavy enough right now?

“Where your mind goes, your muscle grows” isn’t just motivational fluff. A 2018 study had two groups perform identical b...
28/05/2026

“Where your mind goes, your muscle grows” isn’t just motivational fluff. A 2018 study had two groups perform identical biceps exercises: one group focused on squeezing the muscle, the other on simply moving the weight. After eight weeks, the mind‑focused group gained nearly double the elbow flexor thickness (12.4% vs. 6.9%). Mental focus can even increase strength without moving a muscle: a mental training study saw a 35% increase in finger strength and a 13.5% increase in elbow flexion strength just from mental contractions. These are NOT SMALL NUMBERS. Meta‑analyses show an internal focus benefits hypertrophy, while an external focus enhances endurance.
OFC, this is not magic and there are some important caveats: internal focus benefits seem stronger in upper‑body muscles; at very high loads its advantage fades; external focus might be better for strength or beginners learning movement.

After years of coaching, I’ve seen the importance of a focused mind over and over, and these studies confirm that direction. I've seen in me and clients alike how being focused on the involved muscles splits the difference also between completing the reps or missing it.

For hypertrophy or stubborn muscle groups, watch and feel the muscle working; for heavy compound lifts or endurance, focus on moving the bar and maintaining technique. It’s like mindful eating vs. mindless snacking—attention changes the outcome. I guide my clients to choose a goal (size, strength, endurance) and match their focus and workout style accordingly. Being intentional with your training variables and your mental focus is pure leverage. Do it.
Tell me: do you use mind-muscle connection in your training?

If your workouts haven’t evolved in six months, neither will your results.Your body only changes when you apply new stre...
26/05/2026

If your workouts haven’t evolved in six months, neither will your results.
Your body only changes when you apply new stress. Stress isn’t just negative emotion; it’s also physical force. It’s how humanity progressed: no food led to farming, no water led to wells and pipes, cold led to clothing, distance led to phones and satellites, weakness leads to exercise.
Once you get comfortable, progress stalls and even reverses; inactivity, not age itself, is the main cause of frailty. To grow stronger, you must raise the pressure—add weight, reps, frequency, complexity or difficulty. Small, consistent increases build up over time. Staying comfortable means staying the same. That’s why my clients change their workout cycle every four weeks and make weekly progress within that cycle. When did you last push beyond your comfort zone?

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