HE HAS been keeping fit since he was just 13 years old.

Jamie Alderton then took his training to the next level when he joined the Army and was pushed to take part in some of the toughest training there is – from intensive assault courses and endurance tests to sprinting for miles across some of the country’s roughest terrain.

But the hardest thing about military training was leaving home and getting out of his comfort zone.

Jamie said: “I think I threw up twice on the way up there on the train.”

However the more he did it the easier it became.

He believes it’s important to get out of your comfort zone to be able to achieve results.

“When I get comfortable I get lazy,” he added.

Now he has become a body transformation coach and has built up a reputation for his approach to fitness training and his passion for helping others achieve their goals, both physically and mentally.

Jamie has also recently opened a state-of-the art gym, Grenade Fit, which he claims is the first online gym in the world.

But he says his success is all down to his mindset.

The Forces veteran believes that people don’t like to step out of their comfort zones because they feel if they don’t achieve what they have set out to achieve they will look like a failure – but that prevents them from trying anything new.

He argues that it doesn’t matter if someone slightly changes direction, as long as they keep going forward.

According to the latest government statistics, released in February, 24 per cent of the UK’s population is obese and have a BMI of 30 or more, while another 36 per cent is overweight and have a BMI of 25 or more.

This costs the NHS £6billion a year.

Jamie, also known as Grenade Jay, believes this is down to a lack of education and understanding about nutrition and fitness as well as the growing availability of ready meals.

Alongside his own training and running Grenade Gym in Chichester, Jamie presents the podcast Mindset With Muscle.

He uses this to show his listeners that they are in charge of their own environment.

Jamie believes everyone should take time out of their day to think about what they want to do in life while questioning things and accepting nothing less than their best.

“What you put in your body effects the way you look and feel, what you put in your mind effects the way you think,” said Jamie.

“When you decide what to eat, when you decide what job to do, when you decide when you’re going to the gym, it has a huge impact on your life.

“The problem is that a lot of people think they don’t have that choice.”

However, when people choose to take control of their fitness and diets, choosing which advice to follow can be a minefield – including whether or not to eat carbohydrates after 6pm or whether or not cardiovascular exercise like running is better than high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT).

Jamie says that there is no right or wrong approach as it depends on each individual person.

“People should trust themselves, there will always be opinions out there and opinions are usually based on their perception of the world,” he said.

But the most important thing about training, says Jamie, is sticking to routines.

He believes many people stick to a fitness programme for a few weeks before losing focus and they struggle to see the variety that can be brought into training.

Jamie, who lives in West Sussex, said his six years in the Army helped him to be able to stick to good training routines.

He said: "The army works on six-month rotations of pre-deployment, operations and regimental duties.

“I needed that structure in my life after the army so I set goals for every six months. I still do, in life and training.”

Jamie’s views on how mindset impacts a person’s ability to get fit match with those of Ash Carter and Oliver Tuson.

As they come up to the halfway point of their Military Summertime Shapeup series, they hope that with advice from Jamie and themselves Daily Echo readers can get the most out of their training and in other aspects of life.

For more information about Jamie and Grenade Fit visit grenade-fit.com.

This week's exercise challenge - Legs Overload

The military is known for marching long distances across all terrains.

And this week's workout is all about endurance for the legs.

We have a 1,000-repetition workout for you. This is more challenging, but progression is key when it comes to building those wheels. Limits are nothing but a thought, as Jamie said: “Staying in your comfort zone makes you lazy.”

Daily Echo:

Exercise 1. Squats - The set-up for a squat is incredibly simple. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.

Your toes should be pointed slightly outward – about five to 20 degrees outward.

Look straight ahead and pick a spot on the wall in front of you. You’ll want to look at this spot the entire time you squat rather than looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling.

Bend your knees to 90 degrees and hold the move for a second, then return to the start position.

Remember your back should not curve and the chest should be poked out slightly. You must squeeze the front of your leg throughout to really engage the quads.

Repeat this 50 times.

Daily Echo:

Exercise 2. Curtsy lunge to side squats - Start from the standing, then step your left leg behind the right, crossing your thighs and bending your knees as if you were curtsying.

Then return up and step into a side lunge. Use your bent knee to return back to the curtsy lunge after this and keep repeating 25 times.

Daily Echo:

Exercise 3. Gorilla squats - Go down into a squat like the first exercise and touch the floor.

Now try to keep your hand on the floor whilst extending your legs. Squeeze the front of your legs throughout to create tension.

Repeat this 50 times.

Daily Echo:

Exercise 4. C-Sit - Sit in the squat position and hold hands out in front of you. Hold this position for 50 seconds.

Daily Echo:

Exercise 5. Calf raises - Stand with your feet directly below your hips with your heels facing inwards. Then bring you heels off the floor and stand on the balls of your feet.

Squeeze your calf muscles and hold this for a second before returning to the first position.

Repeat this 50 times.

Repeat all five exercises for for a total of four sets to start building those legs to the next level.