£4
DECEMBER 2014
RUSS HOWE GET TONED WITH HIS EXCLUSIVE RUSSIAN ARMS WORKOUT
MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS OVER CHRISTMAS MotivatePT’s Mark Egan says you don’t need to slow up for the festive season
HEAT UP YOUR WORKOUT
GET TWEETING NOW
Fit pros can use Twitter to their advantage, according to Tom Godwin WE TRIED HOT YOGA FOR A TOASTY TWIST ON A POPULAR CLASS
GYM • CLUB • CASUAL
WWW.BORNTOBEVIP.CO.UK INFO@BORNTOBEVIP.CO.UK INSTAGRAM: BORNTOBEVIPLTD Model: Jim Thomson Instagram: jim_gym_
welcome
EDITOR'S LETTER
PTmagazine Hello and welcome to our festive December issue!
PUBLISHER Myles Davies GROUP EDITOR Victoria Guthrie EDITOR Katie Garner katie@ptmagazine.co.uk REGULARS EDITOR Poppy Davidson poppy@ptmagazine.co.uk DESIGN Juliet Symes studio@ptmagazine.co.uk MULTIMEDIA DESIGN Adam Daniels adamd@ptmagazine.co.uk SENIOR ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Yasmine Brown yasmine@ptmagazine.co.uk GENERAL info@ptmagazine.co.uk ACCOUNTS Emma Rayner accounts@ptmagazine.co.uk
@PTMagazine /PTMagazine ON THE COVER: Personal trainer Russ Howe shows us his killer arm workout
With the countdown to Christmas kick starting in style, we take a look at all things indoor to avoid the winter chills. London-based personal trainer Mollie Millington demonstrates how you can turn your household items into gym equipment on page 20, and our Product Profiles this month check out an impressive range of home gym equipment. Sports therapist Georgina Spenceley also advises on whether you should exercise or not when nursing a cold. Take a look at the best ways to maintain your business during the hectic festive season, with Tom Godwin talking us through Twitter, Mark Egan offering advice for coping with the Christmas slump and accountant Andrew James Crawford explaining how an extra pair of financial hands can be an asset. It wouldn't be December if we didn't talk food, so set your mouth watering with Natasha Corrett's Christmas Pudding recipe on page 68. Keep an eye out for some fab new pages that we've added this month, as I'd love to get your feedback on the tweaks that we're making. Let me know what you think at katie@ptmagazine.co.uk Merry Christmas!
Katie
PUBLISHERS: Magic Fountain Media Ltd, Office 10-18, Epsilon House, Masterlord Office Village, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9FJ PRINTED BY: The Magazine Printing Company PLEASE NOTE: Points of view expressed in articles by contributing writers and in advertisements included in PT Magazine, do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in PT Magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for incidents arising from use of information published. All rights, including moral rights, reserved. COPYRIGHT: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievable system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publishers. ©Magic Fountain Media Ltd T/A PT Magazine. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company using only paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers www.magprint.co.uk
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last issue and are looking forward to Christmas as much as everyone here at PT Magazine! To help you avoid feeling too festive, we have come up with some alternative recipes to enjoy in between Christmas dinners, while page 62 has some fitness friendly burgers from Marie. I have also come up with an oriental twist on page 64. A new feature this month is Ramp Up Your Shake, giving some great alternatives to improve the taste of your regular protein shake. If you’re looking to get some home gym equipment for the New Year, then check out page 26. Pages 32 and 33 are full of new wonderful products to be had, while pages 36, 37 and 38 can help out with your last minute Christmas shopping. Don't forget to visit our website, Facebook and Twitter over the holidays, as we'll still be providing you with an array of giveaways for you to take part in so make sure don't miss out! Keep in touch and let us know what you think! Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!
Poppy
Subscribe to PT Magazine now for only £20 and be sure to never miss an issue! Visit www.ptmagazine.co.uk to find out how
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Kettlercise速 Instructor Course Dates 2015
Location
Sunday 18th January 2015
North London
Sunday 1st February 2015
Edinburgh
Sunday 22nd February 2015
Bristol
Sunday 29th March 2015
Leeds
Sunday 12th April 2015
South London
Sunday 26th April 2015
Newcastle
Sunday 10th May 2015
Manchester
Sunday 7th June 2015
Derby
CONTENTS 78
62
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Nutritionist Marie Felton gives Christmas cake and gingerbread cookies a healthy makeover
EXPERTS
15 HOW TO USE COMPLEXES
48 THE SEVEN MINUTE WORKOUT
20 WHO NEEDS A GYM
51 THE RUSSIAN ARMS
Mollie Millington recommends raiding the cupboards for a home workout.
Russ Howe delivers a heavy circuit workout to create toned arms and upper body.
34 RAISING YOUR PT
52 12 DAYS OF
Richard Callendar demonstrates how to step up your marketing to generate business.
Kettlebell champion Jamie Lloyd gives an exercise programme to stick to over the festive period.
Kristoph Thompson explains how you can utilise one piece of equipment in training.
TO GET FIT?
PROFILE
47 START PLANNING
AHEAD
Marketing and business development expert Greg Sellar emphasises how PTs need to look forward.
75 TWITTER BASICS FOR THE FITNESS PROFESSIONAL
Tom Godwin shares his expertise on how to use Twitter to your advantage.
EVENTS
WORKOUTS
Update your diary with these exciting events.
Kelly Du Buisson provides a simple routine that gives results, fast.
WORKOUT
FITNESS
54 DYNABAND WORKOUT
Katie Garner has a go at some of the most popular resistance band exercises with help from Dyna-Band.
56 DUMBBELL COMPLEX WORKOUT
This short and intense workout by Kristoph Thompson will blitz both your upper and lower body.
59 PILLOWCASE WORKOUT
Mollie Millington's innovative home workout uses pillowcases as the only tools you'll need.
REGULARS
8 INDUSTRY FOCUS
Take a behind the scenes look at Team PT, read quickfire tips and catch up on industry news.
17 PT QUOTES
We survey personal trainers across the UK to find out more about favourite gym equipment.
24 INDUSTRY INFO
Are we ticking your boxes? Let us know with our annual reader survey, and The Protein Drinks Co share their top protein picks
28 TRY SOMETHING NEW
Catch some snow the safe way with indoor ski slopes.
30 10 OF THE BEST
This month, Jessica Bennet highlights 10 of the best mat exercises.
40 WHAT KATIE TRIED NEXT
Editor Katie Garner steams up at a Hornchurch-based hot yoga class.
42 SUBSCRIBERS
See what you can gain when you subscribe to PT Magazine.
82 FITNESS HERO
Fitness model and personal trainer Louise Glover emphasises the importance of strength training.
89 10 MINUTES WITH
Advanced personal trainer and registered dietician Rachel Hobbs gives us the lowdown on her lifestyle.
EAT FIT
60 FOOD FOCUS
Take a dollop of cranberry sauce this Christmas – find out why here.
PRODUCTS
26 PRODUCT PROFILE We search the stores for the best home gym equipment around.
41 COMPETITION NUTRITION
Discovery Learning highlight the ideal diet for both before and after fitness events.
THE TRADE DO YOU NEED?
Greg Sellar
45 WHAT TOOLS OF
32 NEW KIT IN TOWN
Check out our showcase of all the latest gadgets and gizmos for fitness.
Ben Jackson from Focus Training dissects how your skillset can boost your career prospects.
64 POPPY PICKS
36 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
49 HOW #FITFAM
Tuck in to this oriental inspired meal of Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken and Vegetables.
66 FESTIVE MENU
Absolute Nutrition don their aprons for these tweaked Christmas classics.
68 CHRISTMAS
Whether you have been naughty or nice, get gift ideas for fitness family and friends here.
44 BEST ON TEST
We sample top notch organisational devices to see what tools can help your business flourish.
PUDDING
Natasha Corrett shares her alkaline take on this traditional dessert.
FEATURES
RULES INSTAGRAM
REPs investigate the online fitness family phenomenon.
72 HOW TO HELP CLIENTS ENJOY EXERCISE
Weight loss coach Joanne Henson speaks to PT Magazine about how to tackle client excuses.
76 HOW TO MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS OVER CHRISTMAS
18 ARE FITNESS
MotivatePT's Mark Egan explains how to utilise downtime over the festive period.
Protein Chef unveil this corker of a cheesecake recipe, ideal for impressing friends and family.
We investigate whether games consoles have impacted on the fitness industry.
81 ALKALINE EATING WITH HONESTLY HEALTHY
71 BAKED APPLES
CLIMBING
70 ALMOND, GINGER AND DARK CHOCOLATE PROTEIN CHEESECAKE
WITH SPICED BLUEBERRIES
Food blogger Mrs P adds Christmas indulgence with this fruity treat.
GAMES AN ADEQUATE WORKOUT TOOL?
22 INDOOR ROCK Find out how your indoor workout can work a range of muscles through indoor rock climbing.
27 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MYLES LEASK
Find out how this personal trainer and fitness model stays in prime shape
Kristoph Thompson Previously working as a Strength and Conditioning Coach with professional baseball and basketball teams in the USA, Kristoph now runs his own PT business in the UK, training clients of all fitness levels.
61 RAMP UP YOUR SHAKE
Go bananas with this tropical take on your usual protein smoothie.
Experts
Natasha Corrett reveals to PT Magazine how alkaline eating has revolutionised her buisness.
84 WORKING WITH AN ACCOUNTANT
PT accountant Andrew James Crawford highlights why a helping hand with your taxes is no bad thing.
87 WORKING OUT WITH A COLD
Fitness writer Georgina Spenceley explains when it's wise to hit the gym when ill
88 HOT AND COLD
PAIN RELIEF
Know how to combat sports injuries with advice from Therapearl.
83
FITNESS FASHION
Faya Nilsson shows how female sportswear has come on in leaps and bounds.
Greg is a Nikesponsored presenter with instructor training experience in over 40 countries worldwide. He works in marketing and business development as a consultant to several fitness brands through www.gregsellar.com
Richard Callender Richard Callender has over 18 years experience in the health and fitness industry, and has become a widely respected and approachable fitness expert, tutor and presenter both nationally and internationally. He has featured on programmes and channels such as Sky News, The 11 O’Clock Show, This Morning and The Biggest Loser.
Mollie Millington London based personal trainer who offers inperson and virtual training support. Twitter (@PTMollie), or www.ptmollie.com
Tom Godwin Tom is the Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services. He specialises in exercise referral, corrective exercise and helping other personal trainers improve their business.
Georgina Spenceley Georgina is a freelance writer, sport therapist, fitness instructor and nutritionist. For more info go to www.fitcetera.co.uk
INDUSTRY FOCUS
PT PLAYLIST WHAT TEAM PT HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH
This month, SWITCH UK owner and personal trainer Ronny Terry shares his favourite Christmas songs to hit the gym with 'All I want for Christams is You' by Mariah Carey
All work and no play would make the PT office a dull place indeed – we liven things up with these mini treats.
Group Editor Vick nabs a healthy dinner with a tasty garlic roasted salmon, asparagus and mushroom combo.
PT Editor Katie received an early Christmas present in the form of these fantastically vibrant Adidas trainers.
Industry FOCUS ONLINE REVIEWS
BLOG www.fitnessontoast.com
www.facebook.com/ theyogaworkshopromford
WWW.PTMAGAZINE.CO.UK
'Hallelujah' by Jeff Buckley 'Sunshine Superman' by Donovan
FIND OUT ALL YOUR FITNESS RELATED NEWS AND UPDATES HERE. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? EMAIL KATIE@PTMAGAZINE.CO.UK
FACEBOOK The Yoga Workshop Romford
08
'Killing in the Name Of' by Rage Against The Machine
FITNESS DOESN'T HAVE TO STAY IN THE GYM - CATCH UP WITH INDUSTRY IDOLS ONLINE
Fitness on Toast Sleek and stylish, exercise and nutrition blog Fitness on Toast is an incredibly classy site to get your latest fitness and food finds, from London-based Swedish PT Faya, who created her blog back in January 2013. Providing an assortment of healthy yet unusual recipes, nutrition tips, informative workouts as well as fitness fashion, Faya offers easy to read, unbiased and interesting content paired with gorgeously glossy professional photos.
'Mad World' by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules
If the stresses and strains of the festive season are getting on top of you, then why not invest in attending a local yoga class to catch your breath? This Essexbased workshop is situated in Victoria Road, Romford, and they offer an array of daytime and evening classes, whether you want a one-to-one private session or a group environment. The teachers here can also provide pregnancy yoga instruction for visitors who are expecting. Their Facebook page contains bundles of info about them, so getting in touch is a doddle; they also post plenty of yoga related snippets and features so you can read up on your new favourite hobby.
WEBSITE Wolverson Fitness www.wolverson-fitness.co.uk For high quality functional training equipment, check out Wolverson Fitness, for their impressive range of pro-grade products – most noteably, their speciality kettlebells. Introducing competition kettlebells into the UK product market, these guys now pride themselves on being the largest importer and distributor of this weight training aid. Starting out back in 2004, the Wolverson Fitness site has a stark, masculine and business-centric feel, offering every bit of kit you'll ever need for a functional workout.
INDUSTRY FOCUS
INDUSTRY NEWS
JOIN THE PELATON IN INNOVATIVE, REAL LIFE WORKOUT VIDEO The Sufferfest have launched a new indoor cycling workout video; the 55 minute high intensity race simulation excitingly plonking you right in the centre of the pelaton. The cycling training film, made in collaboration with UCI World Tour team Giant-Shimano, is the first to include on-bike camera footage from a professional pelaton. The downloadable video, called 'The Rookie', is created by elite coach Neal Henderson of Apex Coaching, with the workout focused around three high intensity race simulation intervals. The 19th cycling video produced by The Sufferfest and one of the 23 videos in their portfolio, is aimed at time short athletes who don't want to compromise their workout. Using footage from professional races such as The Tour de France, be inspired today – check out www.thesufferfest.com/ training-video/rookie/ to sample The Rookie for yourself.
TURN YOUR MILES (RED) CAMPAIGN LETS RUNNERS SUPPORT HIV CHARITIES
FITNESS BLOGGERS UNITE TO CREATE ZERO CALORIE ADVENT CALENDAR
Unique app based campaign Turn Your Miles (RED) is encouraging runners to get involved in fundraising for AIDS and HIV charities. Launched on 12th October, the scheme uses a free app powered by Nike+ to log the number of miles fitness enthusiasts clock up, with the Bank of America donating 40 cents to charity for each mile pledged to the cause.
For an alternative to the usual chocolate on the run up to the festive season, three London-based fitness bloggers have launched the Zero Calorie Advent Calendar (ZCAC), now running for it's third year. The scheme offers a new workout, recipe and fitness product (whether this be a free class pass or a product discount) for every day of the Christmas countdown instead of the normal chocolate munchie. Striving not to undo all of the healthy hard work done throughout the year, the ZCAC aims to keep exercisers focussed on their health and fitness goals between the 1st and 25th December.
Striving to help fight mother to child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of the worlds HIV positive population live, the campaign is a creative way for fitness fanatics to contribute to a good cause, using their usual training regimes to raise money. Since the programme begun, an impressive 75,000 miles have been logged worldwide. Get involved today at www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/justdoit/one-step-4-red.
{ Myth buster }
This year, ZCAC – created by From Snickers to Marathon, Diary of a Dashing Fashionista and PT Mollie – will be supporting the charity A Mile in Her Shoes, which leads running clubs for homeless women. Find out more information about how you can join the ZCAC at www.zerocalorieadventcalendar.com
What is the definition of a calorie?
Calories are often demonised when reading food labels, but what people don't often know is that a calorie is actually a unit of energy. It refers to the energy consumption through eating and drinking, and also the energy used through physical activity. Calories aren't restricted to just food and drink, as anything that provides energy has calories, for example, one ton of coal contains the equivalent in energy of 7,004,684,512 calories.
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INDUSTRY FOCUS
My Local Gym EDITOR KATIE SHOWS A SNEAK PEEK INTO HER FITNESS ROUTINE AT HER LOCAL SPORTCENTRE
FEEL THE BURN This month, Nathan Warner – a Fitness Motivator and Gym Instructor from Everyone Active Hornchurch – shares his advice for a quality strength workout. WHAT IS YOUR TOP TIP FOR STRENGTH CONDITIONING?
I've had a membership at Everyone Active Hornchurch Sportcentre for a good number of years now, although I've been visiting there since I was a child – whether I was flying kicking at karate class, or bouncing around the squash court with inelegant enthusiasm; I've always been active. I try and get down the gym as often as I can, putting in an evening session after work for between 30 minutes to an hour, as well as a 90 minute session on a Saturday morning. I hit the swimming pool with my partner every Wednesday night to front crawl my way through 50 to 70 lengths, and I also attend the violently invigorating Body Combat Express exercise class on a Sunday morning, which knocks me into shape for 45 minutes. Favourite gym equipment? I'm a treadmill girl, slotting in at least 30 minutes running to the majority of my workout sessions. Having done one half marathon and numerous 10km runs, I'm looking forward to pencilling some more running events in my diary. Location: Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1JU. Get in touch by phoning 01708 454135 or check out the website on www.everyoneactive.com/Centre/HornchurchSports-Centre/39/Home Facilities: 33m swimming pool, sports hall, fitness suite, group exercise, squash courts, cafe, creche.
'Free weights are much better then the resistance machines, so go for them. You have to use your balance more, so you are using more of your core muscles, which gives a better workout.' WHAT STRENGTH EXERCISE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? 'Weighted squats definitely. If you use a barbell at the back, so across the back of your shoulders, nice clean and jerk with the squat. Works all your muscles and again the core.'
CPD COURSE OF THE MONTH BOOST YOUR CV SKILLS WITH THIS MONTH'S RECOMMENDED COURSE COURSE: Les Mills GRIT DATE: Saturday 31st January 2015 to Sunday 1st February 2015 COST: £285 LOCATIONS: Huddersfield Inspired by high intensity HIIT training, Les Mills GRIT is a 30 minute, team-based class that covers three separate workouts. Strength, which uses barbells, weight plates and body weight exercises, targets all of your major muscle groups, whilst the explosive Plyo option focuses on power agility training. The Cardio class only uses bodyweight exercises, striving to burn fat and improve atheletic capability.
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EAT SLEEP DRINK THINK BREATHE MOVE TALK
INSTRUCT IF IT COMES NATURALLY TO YOU, STEP UP AND LEAD.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR NATURAL BORN LEADERS TO BECOME LES MILLS INSTRUCTORS & HELP US IN OUR QUEST FOR A FITTER PLANET. YOU BRING THE ENERGY AND AMBITION, WE’LL BRING EVERYTHING ELSE. CHOOSE FROM 13 OF OUR WORLD FAMOUS PROGRAMMES, INCLUDING BODYPUMP™, BODYBALANCE™, RPM™ AND LES MILLS GRIT™ AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR FRESH EXERCISE IDEAS AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES. YOUR CAREER PROGRESSION COMES AS NATURALLY TO US AS YOUR CLASSES DO TO YOU. CHANGE YOUR LIFE & TALK TO US ABOUT BECOMING A LES MILLS INSTRUCTOR TODAY LESMILLS.COM/CAREERS
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Why pool rage is the bane of my life KATIE GARNER DECLARES THAT IT'S SINK, SWIM, OR JUST GET OUT THE WAY... Swimming really is a lovely sport. Not only is it instantly refreshing in the muggy warmer months, but it is a great body booster as well; working every muscle group efficiently, whilst also aiding breathing and lung capacity. Research has also proven swimming to be ideal for those suffering from depression or mental anxiety, and it is a useful activity for anyone sporting an injury as the water kindly buoys your body weight, so you can still exercise without piling additional pressure on your joints. And, a big plus point here, it is probably one of the only sports where you can work yourself ragged and still not appear to sweat – it’s magic. Yes, swimming really is lovely. I know I am a good swimmer. Not blowing my own trumpet or anything, but I have been taught how to swim well. However this also means that I suffer pool rage. For those not familiar with the term, it’s pretty much the same as road rage but instead of annoyed disbelief at the moves of some drivers on the roads, I instead have the same problem with some swimmers in the continuous swimming lane. However I have no car horn to hoot, my arms are engaged in swimming so therefore cannot complete any gesture I may feel necessary and unless I want a mouthful of water, exclamations have to be left unsaid. So pool rage is even worse, because it boils and builds up until you get out of the pool, where you feel like throwing a full-on toddler hissy fit complete with foot stomping and goggle throwing, but instead you have to attempt the dignified ‘you couldn’t paddle yourself out of a puddle’ walk back to the changing rooms, trying calmly to maintain the upper hand.
The worst thing? These people probably don’t even know that they are doing it. I understand that the lane is for anyone who wants to exercise instead of fool around, and is for continuous swimming only, as well as for adults only, but some people sure interpret this in interesting fashions. For example, the lady swimming a mediocre breast stroke whilst chatting to her friend OUTSIDE of the lane! Then there are the people who are improving their strokes – a necessary evil. The more they practice, the better they will get, however when I only have 40 minutes to knock out as many lengths as possible, the splashy spider stroke in the middle of the lane is really not appreciated. Then there are those who cluster across every spare inch of wall at the shallow end, leaving not even a grain of space to touch and turn around on. Don’t get me wrong, I know that swimmers of all abilities and speeds have the right to swim in the lane and I wouldn’t have it otherwise, however engaging simple common sense and correct lane etiquette is not difficult. I hear fantasy-like tales of pools that have more than one lane that caters for different speeds and I wonder in amazement whether this will happen in little old Hornchurch.
PHYSICAL COMPANY RELEASE 2015 CATALOGUE
INJURY SPOTLIGHT
Leading equipment supplier Physical Company has released their product catalogue for 2015 offering 1700 products to meet the needs of any PT. The catalogue includes Physical Company’s own range of functional and studio equipment which has been bolstered by their new Competition Range encompassing Competition Kettlebells, PU Bumper Plates and Pro Olympic Bars. The recently launched Total Gym Elevate Line has been added along with the new BOSU Elite; the perfect tool for improving speed, power, body mechanics and balance. Other new additions include the GRID X and GRID STK; the first hand-held foam roller from Trigger Point. RMT Clubs, a multi-functional training tool used for rotational movement will also be available from January 2015. For more information visit www.physicalcompany.co.uk
REAR FOOT PAIN BEING PROBLEMATIC? YOU COULD HAVE PLANTAR FASCIITIS Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common foot injury in runners, so one to be aware of if you favour treadmill workouts. The main symptom of PF is pain in the plantar region of your foot which increases when you push off to walk or run. PF is basically an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a tissue that runs the length of the sole of your foot. The predominant pain will be where the sole of your foot meets your heel, and it will hurt to put pressure on the foot in general. Risk factors include excessive training, badly fitting trainers, running on unyielding surfaces such as pavements and flat feet to name a few. As well as being common for runners, you'll also find a number of ballet dancers sporting this injury. Taking anything between a few weeks and a few months to heal, keeping the weight off your feet is the best remedy, as well as stocking up on pain killers and anti-inflammatories and utilising the nearest bag of frozen peas.
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EXPERTS
HOW TO USE COMPLEXES GET CREATIVE WITH A WORKOUT ROUTINE USING SIMPLY ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT
BY KRISTOPH THOMPSON
C
omplexes are an efficient use of time, space and equipment – not to mention being extremely challenging for your clients. A complex is a series of exercises performed with one piece of equipment. Each exercise is completed for reps or time before moving on to the next exercise in the series. By varying the exercises as well as the training volume, complexes can be used with all manner of clients. Complexes can be designed around a variety of equipment including kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells and medicine balls. For example, a basic kettlebell complex might consist of six reps of overhead squats, goblet squats, swings, bent-over rows, and Romanian deadlifts done in order without stopping. To yield the greatest strength or conditioning effect, exercises tend to target the largest muscle groups of the upper and lower body, and the number of reps of each typically ranges from six to 12. A complex may last anything up to 20 minutes with minimal rest so the client is working flat out during that time.
DESIGN
Personal trainer and ex-Strength and Conditioning Coach, Kristoph has experience with professional baseball and basketball teams, as well as his own successful PT business. Find out more at www.sideways8.co.uk
REPS/SETS There are a number of different approaches to reps/sets. You might do each movement for a prescribed number of reps, rest briefly, and then repeat the movements. You could take a descending ladder approach where you do one less rep on each exercise with each round of the complex until you reach a set end point. Finally you might ask the client to perform as many rounds of the complex as they can within a set time period. Whichever approach you take, you can guarantee that the client will be challenged in a variety of ways for the duration of the complex.
APPLICATION Complexes are very demanding to perform and the client will most likely end up lying on the floor exhausted when they’re done! For this reason it is unlikely they will be able to perform any more highskill or high-intensity work straight afterwards making complexes perfect for the end of a workout as a finisher. Alternatively, a complex repeated a number of times could in itself make up a shorter, higher intensity session for some clients.
Two key considerations when designing complexes are the smooth transition between exercises and the fact that the weight used for the weakest movement in the series is a potential limiting factor. It is important for the complex to flow so the exercises need to be placed in a logical order. For example, deadlifts transition nicely into bent-over rows whereas stiff legged deadlifts don’t transition well into back squats. The finish position of one exercise should be as similar as possible to the starting position of the next so consider this when designing your complex. You can use racks or stands to help give you greater flexibility in terms of exercise selection. For example, racking a bar to switch between back squats and push presses enables it to be transitioned safely from the back to across the front of the shoulders. There is an obvious disparity in strength between the upper and lower body, and between the weight lifted between compound and most single joint exercises. An overhead pressing movement is a staple of many complexes. Using a push press, where the lower body can contribute to overcoming the inertia of the weight, is one way of overcoming the upper body, lower body strength disparity. Another alternative is to vary rep requirement so that a higher number are completed for lower body exercises than upper body exercises.
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PT QUOTES
'What is your favourite gym equipment to use in a PT session?' WE ASK PERSONAL TRAINERS WHAT THEIR TOP CHOICE EQUIPMENT IS WHEN HITTING THE GYM WITH A CLIENT. DO YOU AGREE? 'My favourite equipment is a stability ball and the TRX. So many diverse exercises can be done with both to work out every muscle and using body weight will give you better results.' Cecilia Harris, owner of Results Fitness and Health 'My favourite piece of gym equipment is a prowler! Hands down the best piece of conditioning equipment and suitable for almost all clients, the ability to add and take away weight alters the aerobic effects dramatically making it a really versatile piece of HIIT equipment.' Jessica Bennett, Scitec Nutrition Sponsored Athlete and owner of Diva Body Design 'I would have to say that my favourite piece of equipment are resistance bands. They are easy to transport, they are easy to use, quick to set up and can provide an excellent low impact alternative for clients that struggle with free weights. Not to mention the thousands of exercises that clients at any level of training experience can do.' Luke Bedward, personal trainer and Bootcamp specialist 'Piloxing Gloves! Because we can take them anywhere to do a great workout together. I like the synrg360 LifeFitness, but work with so much more equipment to provide a PT session.' Joyce Van der Leer, Piloxing Expert 'The pull-up bar. Every gym has one and you don't even need a traditional bar; a window ledge, door, or even a tree can be useds as a surface for the holy grail of bodyweight exercises. When stability discs and suspension training kits are filling up landfill sites, the pull-up bar will live on in all of its simple glory.' Ronny Terry, SWITCH UK Owner and personal trainer 'TRX as it’s one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for all over body strength and full functional movement and can be easily adapted to beginners or advanced clients.' Mark Egan, Personal Training Manager at MotivatePT 'As a strength and conditioning coach I would say my favourite and most used piece of equipment is the barbell. With a barbell you can do a full body workout, targeting and strengthening groups of muscles with compound exercises such as bench press, dead lifts and squats. You can also target specific muscles - deltoids, biceps, triceps, quads. Or you can make it more conditioning doing complexes: deadlift into clean into press into squat into thrusters into rows. The barbell is a simple but effective piece of equipment. You do not need to get to technical with equipment to achieve great results.' Craig Libby, Strength and Conditioning Coach 'Personally I love to use things that clients do not have the confidence to pick up themselves, I love to throw in kit like plyo boxes, Kettlebells and TRX. It is great to take a client from not knowing what a bit of kit is, giving them a basic range of techniques and see them play with a new toy!' Tom Godwin, Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services
INDOOR WORKOUTS
I
n the run up to Christmas, we are inundated with adverts for all the latest gadgets, including top of the range motion control game consoles, such as the Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect and Playstation Move. Although each promotes a vast array of fitness opportunities for a home-based workout regime, how effective are these tools in executing a sufficient amount of exercise and can they be utilised by personal trainers as functional fitness?
HOME EXERCISE A clear challenge to the already flourishing home exercise DVD market, fitness games not only introduce aerobic exercises to your front room, but also yoga and Pilates, as well as sports based fitness such as tennis and boxing. With the Wii being the first game console to be recommended by the NHS, studies show that a third of the activities on this device required the same amount of energy as moderate exercise, which supports government recommendations. Personal trainer and fitness writer Graeme Marsh believes that some groups can really reap the benefits of this style of fitness, explaining 'One area they may be effective is tapping into populations for whom the gym itself is not an option - for any number of sociological or economical issues - such as children, those with motor control conditions, housebound, or depressed individuals.'
ARE
FITNESS GAMES
AN ADEQUATE EXERCISE TOOL? CAN GAMING BE AN ASSET TO THE FITNESS INDUSTRY OR SHOULD WE PUT THE REMOTE DOWN? KATIE GARNER EXPLORES
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'For working with children whose obesity may in part be related to their usage of electronic consoles then I can see a logic for targeting these populations through this format and initial research seems to suggest this is preferable than doing nothing,' he continues. The Biggest Loser master trainer Richard Callender, who has featured in fitness DVDs, can also see the rewards of fitness games, saying 'It negates some of the excuses linked to time, money, membership, etc; there are progression markers that will show how you develop and its a soft introduction to exercise rookies and children regarding fitness.' Richard also believes that fitness games are useful for engaging family and friends in fitness. He further advocates how they can be used as a form of gym equipment, explaining 'if the games suggested are credible, safe, effective and fun then I don't see any reason why they couldnt be used as part
INDOOR WORKOUTS
of gym equipment because not everyone is comfortable in the gym, in classes, with a PT, using DVDs or whatever. We, as professionals, need to step back from our egos and look at what we need to embrace to start affecting larger numbers of people who need help but don't fit into the boxes we want them to fit into.'
PART OF THE PROBLEM, OR THE SOLUTION? Although there is no doubting that fitness games can compliment a regular exercise programme, Graeme is still hesistant to recommend them to his clients, saying 'Targeting fitness requires progressive overload, balanced loading of muscles, improving endurance, and maintaining a mixture of moderate and higher intensity exercise. I don't believe games consoles offer this.' 'While I would never discourage clients wanting to be more active, I believe consoles like this to be a game first and foremost. Standing on a pad swinging a remote control is never going to equal the intensity or the benefits of playing an actual game of tennis for example,' he adds. Explaining the negatives, Graeme details how the types of exercises that can be performed in this way are limited and he also highlights the safety aspect of doing the drills unsupervised, believing there is 'no real way to monitor safety or adherence or intensity other than self-reporting of use, which is known to be highly unreliable.' There are also some exercises which clearly can't be carried over into the home setting, such as using barbells and dumbells for loading manoeuvres. Richard agrees, stating that fitness game users experience less realworld social interaction, may have to spend out on expensive consoles and also 'the games may not push you hard enough to get significant results.'
LEGITIMATE PART OF AN EXERCISE REGIME? Richard questions whether clients would really reap the benefits of fitness games, saying 'the people who might buy them might be people who will choose the path of least resistance and not push themselves appropriately. In a gym environment you will have resistance training, cardio, functional equipment, trained professionals, classes and a massive choice of other services that
will keep you motivated and stimulated long after the game has worn thin.' Graeme concurs, stating 'I would imagine that their usage drops off rapidly as the games become boring and interest wanes' Being part of the immensely successful The Biggest Loser franchise has opened up a wealth of both DVDs and fitness games, across numerous game platforms. Does the brand name make a difference? 'People expect more from them, but the truth is that they are very much along the lines of other good fitness games for consoles,' Richard confesses. 'The key element is that you know it comes from a reputable company because they would not risk creating a fitness game/ simulator that wasn't effective.' But should PTs use them with clients? 'I can see a place for these active games for promoting healthy messages about
fitness and physical activity, or possibly as an intervention for home-based exercise but beyond this I can't take them seriously as an actual tool for increasing fitness,' Graeme admits, with Richard describing the comparison between fitness games and gym workouts like 'chalk and cheese'. He continues 'The closest comparison would be between fitness DVDs and console games, and with that in mind there is a need to cater for people from both sides. Both genres rely on the individual being self motivated to engage with it on a regular basis at home; both have a limited shelf life due to the restrictions of the moves and the physical adaptations you will experience and both should be considered supplemental to an all round fitness programme that may involve a gym or at least some other varied form of training specific to your needs.'
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EXPERTS
Who needs a gym to get fit? IF YOUR CLIENTS LACK GYM CONFIDENCE, SEE HOW THEY FARE WITH THESE HOMEBASED EXERCISES USING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AS THEIR GYM EQUIPMENT
BY MOLLIE MILLINGTON
M
any of your clients might feel like they need to go to a gym to work out. But they also might feel intimidated to be there. The simple and easy thing to do would be to train them at home with household objects. By removing the barrier to fitness, you will empower them to take control of their health. You will also save yourself from carrying weights around as you visit your clients. Look in the kitchen. Pull milk jugs out of your recycling bin and fill them with water or sand to make a handy weight. Open the cupboards for tins of soup which fit into your hands easily but are a bit lighter for older clients or those new to exercise. Leftover paper plates from your last party are great for sliding exercises on the kitchen lino, such as a seal walk or side lunges. Sturdy kitchen chairs can be used for dips, back extensions, incline press-ups and extreme steps-ups.
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If you head up to the bedroom next, a few more pieces of everyday items will jump out at you as exercise equipment. A belt can be used for stretching, resistance work, and maintaining good posture. Towels and blankets can do the same sorts of exercises depending on your range of motion. You can also dig out your rucksack and load it with newspapers or books as a way to increase resistance for lunges, squats and walking up the stairs. A roll of pennies can be tucked into socks in place of ankle weights for leg lifts and abductions or adductions. Your garage and shed probably have the most items you can use as part of your exercise regime. The steps out to the garage can be used for box jumps, reverse lunges and decline press-ups. Stand in the door frame and push your hands out for isometric exercise. If you have kids, grab their hula hoops, skipping ropes, and various balls for ways to get your heart
pumping. You can even keep a tennis ball under your chin during sit ups to prevent neck strain. Footballs are handy for toe touches as a warm up. Use a basketball for woodchoppers - fill it with sand to make it even heavier if you want. Use chalk to draw out ladder races and obstacles courses on the pavement. Invite the neighbourhood kids to race you and each other. Even if you don’t have a child, you can easily find similar items at your local supermarkets. These few examples should inspire you to think outside the box and look at household items in a new way. Assign a challenge to clients between sessions to look for other items to exercise with in between your sessions. Contact our London-based personal trainer and wellness coach via Twitter @PTMollie or check out her website at www.ptmollie.com
ŠSCI-MX Nutrition LLP 2014
Join the SCI-MX PT Loyalty Programme and you can:
Get 50% off your supplements Earn profits every time your clients order online at www.sci-mx.co.uk Earn commission of up to 15% Save your clients money with discounted prices Get access to freebies and special offers! Offers are subject to terms & conditions
To register go to: www.sci-mx.co.uk/ptprogramme @SCIMX
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INDOOR WORKOUTS
INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING FIND YOUR FEET AS YOU TACKLE THIS FULL BODY INDOOR ACTIVITY
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INDOOR WORKOUTS
C
limbing involves nearly every major muscle group, with particular emphasis on the lower body and core, which help to stabilise and strengthen the body for upward mobility. The quadriceps and calves are critical for climbing, and although climbing does indeed take upper body strength, the true lifting comes from the legs. The calf muscles allow you to rise to tip-toes for a better reach. This exercise will build your strength and keep you at peak fitness.
1. Chest / pectoralis major This large muscle fans across from your shoulder in towards your breastbone, and is commonly know as your 'pecs'. More evident in men, the pecs form the main bulk of your chest and are used to control the movement in your arms. Helping as you stretch for awkward hand holds, the pecs assist with lateral, vertical and rotational movement, as well as deep inhalation.
2. Forearm / palmaris longus A long muscle, the palmaris longus starts near your elbow and runs across the middle of your forearm, acting as one of five muscles that provide flexibility in the wrist. Not only does this muscle help with movement, but it can also contribute towards blood flow, speech and body shaping.
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3. Back of the arm under the shoulder / triceps brachii Another muscle that helps to stabilise the shoulder joint, the triceps brachii is the only muscle on the back of the upper arm, connecting to the upper arm bone, the shoulder blade and the ulna. As the primary extensor of the elbow, this muscle comes in handy for sideways movement across the climbing wall.
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4. Top of your abs / rectus abdominis Your abs pretty much get involved in most activities, and climbing is no different, especially since they can help improve jumping, which will come in handy when you take a leap to reach high up hand holds. Found on the front of the body, this muscle starts at the pubic bone and ends at the sternum, forming your classic six pack.
5. Back of your thigh / bicep femoris Fancy a go? If your usual exercise programme is off the cards due to winter weather, why not sample indoor rock climbing for yourself at The Arch Climbing Wall, one of the largest climbing facilities in the UK offering 11,000 square feet of bouldering as well as dozens of circuits that provide hundreds of varying climbs. Based in an old biscuit factory by Bermondsey tube station in London, The Arch Climbing Wall have one of the biggest competition walls in the country, providing lots of volumes, overhangs and a variety of different grades. They also have a double circuit board which is ideal for endurance fitness, as well as a 50 Degree Project Board so you can create your own boulder problems. Mix up your climbs with their large stretching area, beastmaker campus board, pull-up bar and gym rings. Introduction classes run Monday, Thursday and Friday between 6.00pm and 7.00pm or visit on Saturday and Sunday at 12.00pm, 2.00pm or 4.00pm. Introduction classes cost ÂŁ20 per adult. Visit www.archclimbingwall.com/ for more information.
A key one for your legs, the bicep femoris is a two headed muscle on the back of your thigh. Really important for movement, the bicep femoris is used for knee flexion, internal and external rotation and hip extension. Be careful though, as overusage can lead to torn muscles or ligaments.
6. Back / infraspinatus Found on the back of your shoulder blade, this thick, triangular muscle is used to stabilise the shoulder joint, which is useful when stretching upwards for advanced hand holds. It also works to laterally rotate the arm, helping to provide a greater range of movement, which is ideal for overhang routes.
7. Fingers / lumbricals Helping your hands to spread and grip hand holds, these four, small worm-like muscles are intrinsic on both hands, although they can also be found in your feet. Attached to tendon instead of bone, they help your fingers flex and extend.
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INDUSTRY INFO
PT MAGAZINE
READER SURVEY FINE TUNE YOUR FEEDBACK TO CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR NUMBER ONE PROFESSIONAL FITNESS MAGAZINE. Here at PT Magazine, we take an active interest in what our readers think, as we are keen to continuously improve and develop our look, our features and our content to ensure you can really benefit from each issue, with heaps of relevant industry news, advice and insights. Have your say now by logging on to www.ptmagazine.co.uk and following the links to enter our quick and simple reader survey. We look forward to receiving your feedback!
PROTEIN POWER THE PROTEIN DRINKS CO AIM TO MAKE PROTEIN MORE ACCESSIBLE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR TRAINING GOALS Although normally a regular feature on a bodybuilder's meal plan or used by professional sports people, protein is fast becoming a go-to nutrient on the fitness circuit. With 10% to 35% of our daily calorie intake suggested to be derived from protein, are we really getting enough of this muscle-boosting goodness? The Protein Drinks Co strive to make protein a key feature of everyone's diet, with their range targeted at people of all shapes and sizes, with varying fitness goals. With a mix of flavours, The Protein Drinks Co realised that no everyone can fit adequate amounts of protein into their daily diet, so topping up with one of their beverage solutions is ideal. Their innovatove Ufit protein drink offers 22g of lean protein, packed with added vitamins and minerals as well as no added sugar, making it one of the healthiest protein drinks on the market. Also in the range, the Ufit Pro50 gives 50g of high quality protein, paired with only 17g of natural carbs, no added sugar yet plenty of amino acids. Ufit Breakfast is another handy option for the time-poor, as you can quickly consume a combination of protein, wholegrain oats, vitmins and minerals. The Protein Drinks Co new weight loss drink Uslim is also great for supporting healthy body changes. With 15g of protein, vitamins, minerals and added green tea extracts, this drink is only 106 calories, so makes for the ideal healthy snack when you are watching your intake. Suitable to use alongside a healthy and nutrient-packed diet, The Protein Drinks Co provide additional protein options. Available from Tesco, Ocado, Superdrug and Holland and Barrett, visit www.the proteindrinksco. com to find out more about the range of products.
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PRODUCTS
PRODUCT PROFILES
CHECK OUT OUR CHOICES FOR THE BEST HOME GYM EQUIPMENT ON THE MARKET, IDEAL IF YOU VISIT CLIENTS AT HOME
Gorilla Sports 100kg Vinyl Complete Weight Set comes with 75kg worth of plastic-coated Vinyl weight plates, built up of 1.25kg, 2.5kg, 5kg, 10kg and 15kg weight plates to suit the needs of every weight lifter. The Barbell bar, EZ Curl bar and Dumbbell bars ensure a variety of workouts no matter what your mood or targeted muscle group. £139.99 from www.gorillasports.co.uk
Turbo Trainer™ This brand new air-driven bike is ideal for both simultaneous upper and lower body exercise. Using a distinctive isokinetic resistance mechanism, the Turbo Trainer™ mirrors the amount of effort put in by the user, to crank up the difficulty. Great for cardio and sports performance, the Turbo Trainer can also be utilised in a CrossFit regime. £973 (excl. VAT) from www.startrac.com
Reebok Step The Reebok Step remains one of the most popular fitness accessories, despite being around for 25 years now. Adjustable to three varying heights, with non-slip feet and top workout surface, this versatile bit of kit is compact to store away and also comes with a workout DVD for added inspiration. £79.99 from www.reebokfitness.info
Life Fitness Treadmills The Platinum Club Series Treadmill has revolutionised the home fitness experience by offering the most advanced technology, as well as a usercentred design. It offers an array of entertainment and training options including a tablet console to help exercisers stay on track and interested whilst working out. £7,495 from www.lifefitness.co.uk
Unikurve Coming in a range of three weights, the Unikurve is ideal not only for a cardio workout but for both strength and core training too. Designed by a British infantry solider, the Unikurve provides a full body workout, with different hold positions increasing instability and leverage to work varying muscle zones. With a 1000 different exercises, boredom will be the last thing on your mind with this bit of kit. Starting at £110.00 from www.unikurve.co.uk
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A DAY IN THE LIFE
OF A PERSONAL TRAINER
PY LIFESTYLE PT AND FITNESS MODEL MYLES LEASK GIVES US A BEHIND-THE-SCENES PEEK AT HIS DAILY ROUTINE
BY MYLES LEASK
Myles Leask is a commercial/ fitness model and actor. He also acts a personal trainer and offers online workout and nutrition guides.
NUTRITION
TYPICAL WORKOUT Resistance training I usually pair primary and secondary muscle groups, for example; back and biceps. I train all muscle groups besides shoulders twice a week. Tempo and time under tension is more important than weight. Tempo
Rest
I use NRG supplements to great effect and also use Gold Standard Nutrition products daily. Gold Standard Nutrition steamed chicken fillets are ideal for quick, easy, nutritious meals and means that I have more time to dedicate to clients and my training. Their ostrich steaks have also become a staple part of my diet due to them being so high in protein but low in fat, perfect with some mash or chips and veg, and they cook perfectly on a grill.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Crunches (abs)
2
20
2–1–2 90 Secs
Below is an example day in my diet I usually eat like this weekdays and then have the weekend off.
Reverse Crunches (abs)
2
20
2–1–2 90 Secs
WAKE UP: two scoops of NRGFUEL BCAAS and Glutamine
Barbell Curl (biceps)
4
6 to 8
2–1–2 90 Secs
Incline Dumbell Curl (biceps) 4
6 to 8
2–1–2 90 Secs
BREAKFAST (POST CARDIO): four scrambled eggs and four rashers of lean turkey bacon, one chopped banana and zero Greek yoghurt
Preacher Curl (biceps)
3
6 to 8
2–1–2 90 Secs
Deadlift (back)
3
6 to 8
2–1–2
T-bar Row (back)
4
6 to 8
2–1–2 90 Secs
Barbell Bent Over Row (back)
4
6 to 8
2–1–2 90 Secs
90 Secs
Visit www.goldstandardnutrition.co.uk to check out their range and place an order
11AM: two scoops of NRGFUEL SPORTS NUTRITION 100% whey LUNCH: two Gold Standard Nutrition chicken breasts, spinach, grated carrot, cucumber PRE WORKOUT: two scoops of NRGFUEL SPORTS NUTRITION NO2 Max POST WORKOUT: two scoops NRGFUEL SPORTS NUTRITION TTP Anabolic DINNER: two Gold Standard Nutrition ostrich steaks, tender stem broccoli, sweet potato chips PRE BED: Muscle Mousse (in terms of handling cravings, Muscle Mousse helps as well as protein pancakes topped with Walden farms zero kcal sauces)
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TRY SOMETHING NEW
W
ith the UK's version of snow normally being a grey sludge style mush, there are some activities that we have to take indoors, such as skiing. With a vast number of people enjoying skiing holidays across Europe, why not try your hand at this winter classic right here in Blighty with the help of some indoor dry ski slopes? Working all your major muscle groups, most especially your inner and outer thighs, hamstrings and buttock, skiing involves an intense crouching movement to really tone those legs.
INDOOR DRY SKIING TAKE YOUR INDOOR EXERCISE REGIME TO THE MAX WITH THIS TYPICAL WINTER SPORT
Fancy a go? With centres based in Reading, Chiswick and Basingstoke, Skiplex have a unique revolving indoor ski slope, that is suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers as well as snowboarders. These interactive slopes use a 2cm astro turf carpet, which is watered to make it suitable for skiing. With the slope angle easily adjusted by the instructor and greater accuracy of tecnhique needed to cope with the pliable flooring, you'll soon develop a knockout skiing technique. Visit www.skiplex.co.uk/home.aspx to book a session in today.
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Many people visit dry slopes for a pre-season warm up or to sample skiing or snowboarding for the first time, since they make a much more financially viable option and are easier to travel to than resorts further afield in Europe. WHAT IS AN INDOOR DRY SKI SLOPE? Not every location has the convenience of having an abundance of fresh snow and an undulating mountain range to hand, so dry ski slopes, or artificial ski slopes have really boomed in popularity. Mimicking the snowy environment of outdoor ski slopes, the indoor versions instead use materials that stay stable at room temperature and so they can be used all year round, whatever the weather. They are also versatile enough to be used for any snow-based sport, for example skiiing, snowboarding or even snow tube. Usually found in both the UK or the Netherlands, the slopes are lubricated using a jet or mist system, which helps to increase the speed on the surface and also acts to prevent equipment damage from friction heat build up. The surface of the indoor ski slopes, called Dendix, looks similar to toothbrush heads and are normally in a diamond pattern with the bristles facing upwards. DOES THIS DIFFER TO NORMAL OUTDOOR SKIING? Contrary to popular belief, skiing on an indoor surface is actually tougher than the real thing, as it doesn't provide as much support as skiing on real snow. On snow, you can let your skis glide whilst you make small directional movements, however on a dry slope, you have to be in full control of your skis, positioning your body centrally so that you can guide your movements successfully. Leaning too far back can cause your skis to shoot downhill, whilst holding your posture too far forward means that you are putting too much pressure on your skis, making turning awkward. Images from www.skiplex.co.uk/home.aspx
10 OF THE BEST
10 BEST G Mat Exercises OF THE
SCITEC NUTRITION SPONSORED ATHLETE, PRO PERSONAL TRAINER, SPORTS NUTRITIONIST AND ONLINE COACH JESSICA BENNETT SHARES HER TOP 10 MAT MOVES
TIPS: - Start from a standing position, jump down to the floor into a press up position - Immediately push your bodyweight upwards and jump back into a standing position - Increase difficulty by increasing the repetitions or add a squat jump at the top of the movement
MOVE 3: Static Lunge
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MOVE 1: Burpee
Tips: - Keep your back straight - Do not allow bent knee to touch the floor - Ensure balance before moving between lunges - Head up, shoulders back and focus your sight straight ahead - Slow repetitions will ensure that you achieve the maximum work out potential - Long strides engage the hamstrings and glutes, shorter strides emphasise the quads - Engage core muscles, maintain tension in abs - Adding hand weights will increase intensity
BY JESSICA BENNETT Jessica Bennett is a Scitec Nutrition sponsored athlete, pro personal trainer, sports nutritionist and online coach. Find out more at www.divabodydesign.com
yms floors today are mapped out with high tech pieces of fitness equipment, but are they beginning to underestimate the potential of the humble exercise mat? Incorporating these mat exercises into your regime can build on major areas of fitness such as core strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility, using both compound and isolation exercises.
MOVE 2: Squats
TIPS: - The back should stay straight - Go to the seated position and keep abs tight - Holding the squat for longer will improve muscular endurance - Increase difficulty by adding pulsing movements at the bottom of the squat or by adding weight.
TIPS: - Keep your back straight - This is a great exercise for building strength for push-ups - Increase time holding the plank position to make it more challenging, lift one leg and one arm off the ground or add weight to your back
MOVE 4: Plank
10 OF THE BEST TIPS: - Simply take a pair of small baking tins from any supermarket - Place the balls of your feet into each tin and reach forward into the plank position - Slide each foot forwards towards your elbows alternately at speed - Ideal for a home workout, but here the XR Slide is used as another option
MOVE 7: Push-Ups
MOVE 8: Bridge
MOVE 5: Baking Tins
MOVE 6: Superman
TIPS: - Keep tension in the abdominals - Keep head down and spine straight - Movement should be slow and controlled - Hold extension for longer to increase intensity and improve balance - You can also add ankle and wrist weights
TIPS: - Keep the back in a straight line from head to toe - Lower yourself slowly to ensure that you are working muscles to their maximum potential - Increase repetitions to increase difficulty levels or add resistance via bands or chains
TIPS: - Keep shoulders firmly on the floor - Maintain tension in glutes and abs - Pushing hips higher will increase difficulty levels and improve muscle strength as will adding a weighted bar or plate
MOVE 10: Walking plank
TIPS: - Lean backwards until you feel your core engage and elevate your feet from the ground - Twist from left to right - Increase difficulty by adding a medicine ball; the more weight you add, the harder the movement
MOVE 9: Russian Twist
TIPS: - Ensure that your back remains straight. - Move down to your elbows one arm at a time
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PRODUCTS
Pumping Iron Muscle Development The bodybuilding clothing specialists Pumping Iron have just released a new range of signature vests, incorporating their trademark muscled figure logo. Iconic and in bright unisex colours, these versatile vests can be worn tight or loose. £12.99 from www.pumpingiron muscledevelopment.com
Andrew James The Andrew James Food Dehydrator is a fast and easy way to make delicious healthy snacks like banana chips or beef jerky, as well as being a convenient way to preserve foods. £35.99 from www.andrewjamesworldwide.com
NEWKIT
IN TOWN
Balega
Every pair of Balega socks is hand inspected and given an individual examiner number, which means each pair can be traced back to a specific individual. All the toe seams are linked by hand to ensure the ultimate comfort and performance, whatever your workout. £10.00 from www.balega.com
Nutrifiz Skip the blender with Nutrifiz Wheatgrass, which delivers an explosive and delicious start to your day in a simple tablet format. Packed with all the essential vitamins, minerals and plant-based nutrients your body needs, you won't need to blitz your greens ever again. £12.95 for 20 tablets from www.nutrifiz.com
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WE POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF WHAT YOU SHOULD BE STOWING IN YOUR GYM BAG
PRODUCTS
Stridersedge A lovely statement hoody perfect for the colder nights. They are made to suit every shape and attitude; a real treat for yoga and running fans. Workout wear is no longer resigned to the gym with these beauties. £65.00 from www.stridersedge.com
Monster iSport Intensity These sweat-proof and washable headphones are perfect for every workout. They have an in-line mic with controls for smart devises, while the tangle-free cord is a perfect fit with goggles, glasses and helmets. £79.95 from www.shopmonsterproducts.co.uk
Soleus Pulse Rhythm This unisex fitness watch helps you track calories burnt while keeping a close eye on your heart rate, with an accurate real time reading. Simply stylish in black, this easy to read watch will fast become an essential workout accessory. £99.00 from www.soleusrunning.eu
On Cloud On, the Swiss sports company, launches the limited edition of the On Cloud into their extensive range of lighter than air running footwear. On’s goal is to create the feeling of ‘zero-gravity running’, putting the fun back in to your morning jog. £110 from www.onrunning.com/en-gb
Shredded Freak’s Shredded Freak’s gym clothing range is made to the highest standards ensuring both performance and style for fitness professionals. They stock both men and women's clothing lines. Vest is £18.99 from www.shreddedfreak.co.uk
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33
EXPERTS
Richard is widely known and recognised as an approachable fitness expert, group fitness presenter, writer and television personality both in the UK and internationally. He has worked in the industry for an impressive 18 years. Check out www.richardcallender.com
RAISING YOUR PT PROFILE VIVID PROFILING CAN PROVE INTEGRAL FOR BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL TRAINING CAREER BY RICHARD CALLENDER
R
aising your profile, with the intention of generating more opportunities and therefore making more money is one of the most commonly asked questions in the fitness industry. It is not easy because you may have a newsworthy and compelling story/brand/idea but so do hundreds of other fitness professionals in the sector. Raising your profile gives you a platform from which to sell your wares from and gives both the media and the general public someone they can be inspired by and want to listen too. I believe that to raise your profile you need to work hard to understand who you are, what you can offer and what makes you different. Imagine the shape of a pyramid. At the bottom, where it is widest, are where most fitness professionals operate and run their businesses successfully. As you move upwards, the shape of the pyramid becomes smaller, this is where strong profiling becomes vital as more well known individuals become scarce and therefore more appealing to the media and mass market. Know where you are in the pyramid and look at opportunities in which you can develop your profile and move upwards in the triangle.
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INCREASING VISIBILITY Alongside this pyramid is a second one which mirrors the first. However, this pyramid starts at the bottom with your clients, class participants and their immediate circles of friends. It then progresses upwards through categories such as; local public awareness; local media/press; regional public awareness; regional press/radio; national awareness; national radio/press/ media; social media celebrity, TV guest spots, industry, ‘celebrity’, etc. In short, you need to work your way up the second pyramid by ensuring you gain notoriety as a local ‘celebrity’ and ‘go to’ person for your sector. As you develop your brand, finetune your unique selling points and gain a reputation in your local area, you will find that your profile will start to become further reaching and offers of work outside of your locality will become the norm. This will continue to occur over time as long as you focus on being professional, approachable, results orientated and creative. A good reputation will help increase your profile, word of mouth will open doors for you and attention to detail with all aspects of your business (branding, imagery, social media, new concepts, etc) means you become newsworthy and someone that
needs to be approached. Whether it is for better job opportunities, new clients, exciting projects or even the press at whatever level you operate at.
My top five tips • Either be creatively original or align yourself with someone or a brand that will raise your profile • Make sure your website/social media pages outline what makes you different and why you should be contacted • Do not be disparaging or overly negative about your peers or products. Few people want to give opportunities to someone who has a chip on their shoulder or believes they know it all • Be realistic about what you think you can achieve - make a three month plan and make it happen • Write/blog/feature in as many places as possible so that your name starts to appear across Google and you create a ‘breadcrumb’ pathway back to your website and therefore you
CHRISTMAS
GIFT GUIDE STRUGGLING WHAT TO BUY YOUR FITNESS FRIENDS, OR JUST WONDERING WHAT TO POP ON YOUR WISH LIST? WE GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN ON THESE GREAT GIFT IDEAS
FitMark For the bag with more compartments then you can shake a stick at, check out the FitMark Transporter Duffel, ideal whether you are hitting the gym or spending a weekend away. Bringing quality and functionality to your fitness lifestyle, this spacious bag includes seal tight containers for your lunch as well as a compartment for your laptop and it even includes a laundry bag. With plenty of inner pockets to fill and an adjustable shoulder strap for comfort, the possibilities are endless with this bag – you literally won’t need anything else. £71.99 from www.monstersupplements.com
Bowflex JGFitness JGFitness is an exciting brand that is committed to supporting disabled athletes, and in particular, raising the profile of the disabled bobybuilding arena. Aiming to bridge the gap between disabled athletes and sports, the group have now launched their own clothing range, supplying t-shirts, vests and hoodies in a range of fun colours, all emblazened with their bold logo. Get yours today to show your support for this excellent cause. £12.99 from www.jgfitness.co/shop.html
The Bowflex Boost is a smart activity tracker, that can keep count of your steps, distance, calories and sleeping patterns, so everyday tasks like walking, running and lifting can all count towards your daily exercise total. With personalised pre-programmed goals, you can clearly see whether you are on route to hit your targets, and you can even sync the device with your iPhone or Android via Bluetooth, with the long battery life also coming in handy. £79 from www.fitness-superstore.co.uk
Osmo – Active Hydration Advocating the science of hydration, Osmo Active Hydration drinks are designed to be used during exercise, optimised to work with your body’s fluid intake system to delay fatigue, boost endurance and maximise cardiovascular efficiency while at the same time minimising cramp risk. Developed by exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr Stacy Sims, you need never be gasping again. £15.99 from www.osmonutrition.co.uk
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PRODUCTS
Teapigs Get your green on with this Matcha Kit from tea revolutionaries Teapigs. This unique green tea is 100% natural, using organic green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. Considered the superhero of teas, this delicious beverage has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for almost 900 years so the hype about it helping us stay healthy and happy must have some truth. From the Nishio region in Japan, Teapigs take great pride in their production and harvesting processes so you know you are getting a quality product here. £35 from www.teapigs.co.uk
GYMBUG Update your gym kit with these midnight black, 100% cotton tracksuit bottoms from UK-based GymBug. In sizes ranging from small to extra large, they feature an attractive logo and have a tidy fit that shows off the hard work on the leg resistance machines. Ideal for your post-Christmas lunch workout. £34.99 from www.gymbugclothing.com
Soleus GO! For the friend who is always on the move, the Soleus GO is an activity band that does it all. Not only measuring your exercise with a dedicated exercise mode, but it can also track your sleep as well as work in coordination with your mobile to provide caller ID and text message notifications. Compatable with both Apple and Android phones, you’ll never miss anything again.
LightSleeper For a more soothing and natural sleep, invest in this clever device, that projects a calming light on to the ceiling. The idea is that you follow the light with your eyes for a few minutes without your brain being stimulated, and this can help you drift off into the land of nod. Ideal if you are trying to nap post workout. £132 from www.lightsleeper.co.uk
£129.00 from www.soleusrunning.com
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PRODUCTS
Nutribullet
Lumo Lift Start the new year as you mean to go on, with perfect posture using the Lumo Lift. Coaching you to both sit and stand taller, the Lumo Lift can be worn hidden under clothes or as jewellery, providing real-time feedback on your body position and movement. The device will vibrate to help you correct you posture, and it also handily tracks steps, distance and calories too. Slouching is so 2014. £79.99 from www.lumobodytech.com
This handy kitchen gadget is ideal for smoothie and juice lovers who want to get every scrap of nutrients from their fruit and veg. The Nutribullet has a powerful 600 watt motor which allows a variety of stems, seeds and skins to be pulverised for any recipe you want. Only 14 inches high it will fit in any sized kitchen, and since it is quick and easy to clean, you’ll find yourself making smoothies all day long – perfect for the January detox. £99.99 from www.buynutribullet.co.uk
Rehband Stay stable and secure with these knee sleeves from Rehband. Made from Neoprene, they ae designed to gently compress the joint, allowing for maximum blood flow as well as reducing inflammation which is ideal for sports and exercises that put additional pressure on this area. Helping to boost performance, prevent injury and offer general protection, 2014 Crossfit Games Champion Camille LeblancBazinet is a fan, so we are too. £22.99 from www.rehbandsport.co.uk
EDDY MERCKX – EMX 1 Created by the legend Eddy Merckx, this makes the perfect gift for cycling fans. This stiff and stable road bike has the ideal geometry for tackling long rides, making use of a lightweight carbon frame. With Merckx winning an impressive 525 races in his heyday, including five Tour de France titles, racing on one of his bike designs is cycling heaven. £1,499.00 from www.eddymerckx.be/EUR/en
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WHAT KATIE TRIED NEXT
What do you think I should try next? Get in touch at katie@ptmagazine.co.uk Aiming to make yoga more accessible for people of all fitness levels, the guys here avoid the top temperatures, also playing trendy current music instead of the classic birdsong and windchimes, all in a bid to open yoga classes up to the masses and encourage people of all shapes and sizes to attend. I managed to book myself in for the 'Soul Weekender' class, so I would be doing my sun salutations to the dulcet tones of Jermaine Steward et al.
Hot Yoga EDITOR KATIE GARNER SEARCHES FOR HER INNER ZEN AT A HOT YOGA CLASS WITH A TWIST
Designed to improve flexibility and balance as well as flush out the toxins from your body through sweat, hot yoga is basically performing yoga poses in a hot room. Although it does feel toastier than the usual studio setting, it is more of a dry heat, so you sweat unconsciously, only realising how damp you are when you stop for a slug of water; my fantastically flamboyant instructor Dean constantly reminding me to keep sipping, and that I should drink at least 1.5 litres. The additional heat is said to allow for a deeper stretch with less chance of injury, as well as help with weight loss. Classmate Jennifer proudly recalled how she lost a stone in approximately one month just through five hot yoga classes a week and healthy eating. Hot yoga is also said to be beneficial for asthma, arthritis, stress, anxiety and depression. I actually really enjoyed the class, in part due to Dean's passion for yoga. Instead of going through the motions at the front of the class, he uses the front row of experienced attendees as his demonstrators, himself opting to walk between our mats, giving us pointers on our postures and calling out the sequences of moves. With regular cries of 'Good children!' when we had done a fluent succession of poses, and 'Water children!' when it was time to top up on liquids. Dean was really informative, explaining each yoga pose as well as reciting their proper names, none of which I could even say, let alone spell.
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et's face it – I don't feel my most elegant. With my knees, chest and chin all pressing into my yoga mat, my arms neatly tucked by my side yet my rear still sticking up in the air, I dread to think of the view the person behind me has. It's 8.00am on a Saturday morning, and I'm currently sweating my
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way through a 90 minute ashtanga vinyasa hot yoga class, at 1-2-1 Urban Hot Yoga, a basement studio situated in Hornchurch, Essex which opened about 14 weeks ago. Cooler than traditional Bikram hot yoga, 1-2-1 Urban Hot Yoga set their studio at a scorching 34 degrees celsius, which honestly didn't feel as hot as it sounds.
Despite Dean's reassurances that I'm a natural yogi, I know I still have to brush up on my technique, however I really enjoyed the class as a whole. I could really feel my muscles working in the more tricky poses, and we even added an intense pantingstyle breathing exercise to really increase the pressure on the abs – a killer when paired with a plank. For more information, visit www.121urbanhotyoga.co.uk
COMPETITION DIET
COMPETITION NUTRITION DISCOVERY LEARNING EXPLORE HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR EVENT PERFORMANCE THROUGH WHAT YOU EAT
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utritional intake leading up to and during an event will play a significant role in performance on the day. Nutritional preparation for any competition will depend upon the type of event and the regularity of events/ matches/heats. The key to preparation is getting the basics in place and then fine tuning this to personal preferences and performance.
One day before competition The aim is to top up glycogen levels and ensure athletes are well hydrated. Aim for low GI carbohydrate foods during the day, and drink plenty of fluids. For those who experience pre-competition nerves, do not skip meals; instead encourage foods that will be easier to eat. Meal replacement drinks, liquidised foods, sports drinks, soft foods such as custard, porridge, cereals etc.
On competition day The aim is to top up liver glycogen stores, maintain stable blood sugar levels, keep hunger at bay, and keep well hydrated. The days eating plan will depend upon competition times, duration and intensity of the event. As a general rule, adopt the following strategy: start from competition time, and work backwards. Plan to have
the main pre-comp meal two to four hours prior to the event, and experiment with what works best in training. If the event is in the morning, then athletes should get up at least three hours before and have a good breakfast immediately. If the event is late afternoon or evening, plan the timing of a pre-event meal, and aim to eat at three hour intervals before this in order to programme meal times and snacks. Don’t try to make it up as you go along – risking arriving over or underfed for the event. Where possible encourage a substantial breakfast.
What to eat on competition days Competition days require high carbohydrate (low glycaemic index for gradual energy release) low fat, low protein foods. Foods should also be non-bulky foods, or spicy, salty types. Always plan for plenty of liquids, and always have a water bottle or isotonic / hypotonic drink to hand.
Just before competition In an endurance event, take on board a low GI carbohydrate snack (1g / kg) 30 minutes before the start of the event. Drink a further 125 – 250 ml of fluid 15 minutes prior to the event, and in the hours leading up to the start; keep a check on the colour of urine and ensure it remains pale.
During competition For events under 60 minutes, it is not necessary to take on board carbs during the event. For longer events fuelling will help to delay fatigue in the later stages of the event. Aim for 30 – 60g of high GI carbohydrate per hour (isotonic / hypertonic drinks).
Post event The aim is to replenish glycogen stores and lost fluid. Choose foods with moderate or high GI to ensure rapid refuelling (1kg carbs / kg in 2 hour post event window). Drink at least 0.5 litre of fluid and continue to drink at regular intervals to replace fluid losses. Have a substantial post event meal two to three hours later. This meal should be moderate or low GI foods based upon carbohydrates – pasta, rice, potato, bread, deep-pan pizza. Avoid fatty or oily meals, as these will inhibit the rate at which glycogen stores are replenished. The inclusion of protein in the meal will assist refueling.
If you are interested in a career in fitness contact Discovery Learning on 02085431017 or email info@discovery.uk.com
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GYM EQUIPMENT
HAVE A
FITNESS-FOCUSED JANUARY PODIUM 4 SPORT’S UK SALES MANAGER STUART CAIN, HIGHLIGHTS THREE MUST HAVE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEW YEAR
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veryone wants to get fit in January - gyms see an increase in membership, more people take on the services of a PT and lots of people buy fitness equipment for home workouts. It is important to have versatile equipment for all of these, to keep costs down and to be able to exercise effectively. Here are my top choices of the best gym equipment: Kettlebells are efficient, portable and offer a user a huge variation of training exercises.
They are small enough to be transported easily and can be used to train a variety of different muscle groups. From goblet squats working the glutes and hamstrings to kettlebell swings for strengthening the core, this inexpensive piece of equipment is a must have for all workouts. Studio barbell sets will be familiar to everyone who has taken part in classes at their gym. With the ability to vary the weight and mix up the intensity of exercises with this equipment, PTs can design and
implement a varied and effective full body workout at very little cost. Medicine balls are now widely available in gripped or non gripped versions and with a range of weights, are flexible to allow for progression for anybody on a fitness journey. They are a simple piece of equipment that people will find aren't daunting and are of great use in partner PT sessions or classes where people will work together. Get your hands on the latest equipment at www.podium4sport.com
by Stuart Cain | scain@podium4sport.com | 07807 657546 www.podium4sport.com
PRODUCTS
BESTONTEST THESE HANDY ORGANISATIONAL DEVICES WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS GET TO GRIPS WITH YOUR PT WORKLOAD Glofow
www.glofox.com
Filofax
www.filofax.co.uk
Although the software is easy to set up, it can be time consuming, as you are looking at around two hours if you want to include your own terms and conditions. Useful features include clients being able to book in and pay for both group exercise classes and one to one sessions via their phones, and you will receive a notification once your time has been booked out. If spaces are full, your clients will automatically shift on to a waiting list. Clients can even upload a picture of themselves, so you know who to look for on the gym floor. The transaction history is great for keeping track of client payments, while the client profiles are useful for storing your session notes and observations.
Sometimes, you just can’t beat an old school diary system, and with the wide array of options that come with the classic Filofax, this could be the perfect for you. Coming in a variety of sizes (such as A5 or mini), and offering a choice of diary pages (week to a view or day per page?), you can pick how you want your appointments to be displayed. You can enter exactly what you want, where and when you want, using it as much as you like without it dying due to an expired battery life, although modern aids such as alerts and online bookings will have to be missed.
iPhone
Teamsite
One of the most popular gadgets of our era, you can utilise your iPhone for business purposes as well as unending games of Candy Crush. The reminder and calendar functions work in sync to send you handy push notifications when you have either one to one or group classes pencilled in, although you do have to initially input the events into your calendar for this to work. Payments will have to be taken through a different program or app or in person, as the iPhone doesn’t have the functionality for this alone.
This free software has been designed for teams, so could work extremely well if you run exercise classes or bootcamp sessions. Easy to set up, you can invite your clients to join, with the built in Google maps feature providing exact class locations so attendees can find you simply. You only need the internet to run it, so you don’t have the additional hassle of downloading apps, which saves time in the long run. You can also send mass emails to your client base, checking attendance with automatic reminders that allow clients to respond.
www.apple.com
www.teamsite.io
PT BUSINESS
Ben Jackson is Operations Director at Focus Training, moving into the fitness training sector after working for three years as a personal trainer with Virgin Active. Starting his career as a gym instructor aged 16, Ben has always been an active member of the fitness community.
WHAT TOOLS OF THE TRADE DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED AS A PT?
GETTING QUALIFICATIONS IS ESSENTIAL IN GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR OF THE PT INDUSTRY BY BEN JACKSON
L
ike most trades, becoming a personal trainer requires a core set of skills and qualifications. Clearly, an active interest in fitness and well-being and a desire to work with people are prerequisites for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in the industry. Maybe you’ve always been into sport, dance or worked part-time in a gym or leisure centre. Now, you want to turn your hobby into your career, so what exactly do you need to pass muster as a professional in the fitness industry?
CHOOSE YOUR QUALIFICATION Your qualification is king and there is a wide range of courses on the market. Choose your preferred method of studying, from distance learning to full-time intensive courses, from a reputable training provider who is experienced in providing the support and guidance you will need. Make sure it’s a recognised, REPs accredited course that you are signing up to. There are many stories of people passing themselves off as a personal trainer without a qualification which is both unethical and unsafe.Potential
employers, if you are heading for a gymbased career, and clients, if you aspire to be self-employed, are going to demand proof of your qualifications. Not only that, it’s a fact that the more qualifications you have, the more reputable you will be and the higher income you can expect. So, invest your money wisely in a high quality course and it will pay dividends many times over as your career progresses. The industry benchmark, the Diploma In Personal Training, is a Level 3 qualification that incorporates the Level 2 Fitness Instructor course if you haven’t already done it. Students with a Level 2 qualification will be delighted to have their previous efforts recognised and should receive a healthy discount on the Level 3 elements required to become fully qualified.
GAIN FOUR NEW SKILLS WITH THE ‘PT TOOLKIT’ The Master PT qualification that we deliver now includes an additional two day workshop giving you four complimentary
skill sets so you can deliver more varied and challenging training sessions to your clients. The workshop is called the ‘PT Toolkit’ and provides a grounding in Kettlebells, Core, Outdoor Training and Padwork - skills that could be the deciding factor in a client choosing you over the competition. The PT Toolkit is also a brand new course in its own right and is available to anyone with a Level 2 qualification. It’s a timeefficient, cost effective route to boosting your portfolio of skills. Alternatively, if you like the idea of positioning yourself as an expert, perhaps in a niche area where your additional expertise will gain you a reputation as an authority, becoming a specialist PT is for you. Your qualification includes the mandatory PT course plus specific training in either lower back pain or obesity and diabetes, all massively developing areas of need. Find out more about Focus Training at www.focus-training.com
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EXPERTS
START PLANNING AHEAD ARE YOU PREPARED FOR WHERE YOUR FITNESS CAREER COULD TAKE YOU?
BY GREG SELLAR
T
here is going to come a time when you will want to use your expertise and experience developed as a trainer to move beyond the four walls of a training studio or gym. Setting up a practice based around you – your knowledge, your expertise in whatever area of fitness, and your ability to speak, write or train can be a lucrative means to earning a living. My worry for most trainers is, when the time comes to move from trainer to whatever your next step looks like, how prepared will you be for the transition? I’ve recently tried to press the 're-set' button on what my work in the industry means. I think there’s a lot bigger picture to ‘health’ than just picking up weights (although that’s an amazing start and a big component). There’s more to the psychology of the people we train in why most of them can’t make the kind of breakthroughs they’re after easily. That, and the fact that most people we see don’t get the level of daily nutrients necessary to operate well at the cellular level. You start
to see why the process of losing weight, in particular, is hard for most. Wellness seems to be a paradigm shift for the industry – taking a more holistic approach to fitness and it’s something I personally am exploring. As I delve into these other areas of fitness, as someone who has evolved from the group fitness arena, into a more PT and training-focused delivery, it’s a natural progression for everyone at some point to ask the question, 'what’s next?' That process certainly caused me to ask myself: • What do I think I might be an 'expert' in? • What is my message if I was to summarise it as one point of view? • What do I love doing (presenting, training, speaking, writing)? • Who do I love doing it for? • Who might be interested in hearing my message after I’ve answered the above points?
A Nike-sponsored presenter with trainer experience, Greg is also a marketing and business consultant for fitness brands across 40 countries. Take a look at www.gregsellar.com
If you have any aspirations of building a practice based around your expertise, you have to start thinking about these questions and formulating a game plan in your mind for any new action. These are going to be some of the fundamental questions that need answering before you can progress onto further career paths. There are several reasons why building a practice based around you is more appealing than setting up a business. Firstly, a practice based around you has no (or low) overheads. You can start honing your products and services based around your fitness knowledge from you kitchen table. Additionally, a practice will have higher profit margins as you don’t have the drain of offices or a space and you only have to pay yourself. The time will come when you want more. Find out what it is you know better than most, use it to begin creating content that people will want to buy and then slowly you’ll be in a position where you have an opportunity to make the change.
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WORKOUTS
7 WORKOUT MINUTE
PERSONAL TRAINER KELLY DU BUISSON SHOWS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO PUT IN HOURS TO SEE RESULTS This takes seven minutes, so its great for anyone who simply can't find the time to exercise.
Want more short and succint workouts? Check out Kelly's new e-book The 7 Minute Workout for a collection of results-driven, time-saving exercises.
Round 1 - Warm up Plie squats (stand with feet wide and elbows wide, squat low to floor so knees are in line with toes) and inch worm burpees (place hands down to floor and step one leg at a time back to plank then step in coming up to standing). DO TWO SETS FOR 30 SECONDS EACH EXERCISE WITH NO REST.
Round 2 - Fast as you can Mountain climbers (hands to floor running legs in and out as quick as you can) and flick kicks (come onto back and lift up onto hand with knees bent. Quickly kick legs up to ceiling alternating sides). DO TWO SETS FOR 30 SECONDS EACH EXERCISE WITH NO REST.
Round 3 – Keep it fast Twist kicks (in a plank position role onto one hand lifting other arm to head and kicking bottom leg forwards. Come back to plank and repeat on the side) and up and overs (in a v sit position lift one leg straight, and keeping the other knee bent, tap foot up and over straight leg). DO TWO SETS FOR 30 SECONDS EACH EXERCISE WITH NO REST.
Round 5 – Cool down Gentle arm circles and leg swings.
Round 4 – Bring it Full burpees for ONE MINUTE, FLAT OUT.
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ONLINE FITNESS
HOW #FITFAM
RULED INSTAGRAM
REPS DEMONSTRATE HOW THE FITNESS COMMUNITY IS GOING VIRAL VIA PHOTO-CENTRIC SOCIAL MEDIA INSTAGRAM
A
t the time of writing, the eponymous hashtag of Instagram’s fitness family #FitFam - has been used 14,450,954 times. That’s a whole lot of gym selfies!
While the fitness community has never really found its footing on Twitter, our image-focused community took to Instagram like a duck to water. Among its infamous gym selfies, the fitness industry and its followers find Instagram to be the best tool for inspiring, communicating, and learning with one another. With hashtags like #workout, #bodybuilding, #fitspo, #fit, and #comp taking over millions of accounts alongside day specific alternatives like #MotivationMonday, #TransformationTuesday, #WorkoutWednesday, and #FitnessFriday, the Instagram infatuation is obviously going nowhere. With this in mind, we thought we would take a look at three of the most inspired and socialsavvy fitness accounts around.
Three key tips for joining the #FitFam Identify your community. Because the #FitFam grows larger and larger every day, the competition to stand out from the pack is rather fierce. By identifying the micro community that resonates with your specific goals and/or PT method, you will be able to not only grow your account but benefit from the communities specific expertise Be active in the community. Rather than simply liking the accounts you want to follow, interact with others in your micro community. Conversation is the best and easiest way to build your brand. Quality and quantity. In this day and age shaky selfies won’t cut it. While posting frequently is an important factor in building your personal profile, you should make the effort to ensure your images are – at the very least – clear and intended for a specific purpose. Apps like Snapseed and PhotoframeFree will help you with this.
TRACY ANDERSON
PROGRESSIVE CALISTHENICS
CLEANEATZ
Firstly, we have superstar trainer Tracy Anderson (@tracyandersonmethod). Though Tracy has built her name in Hollywood as the trainer to the silver screen’s most recognisable starlets, the non-disclosured nature of her business means creating her social profile has been left to her own devices. Effectively, Tracy combines helpful, entertaining videos with branded, promotional selfies and other lifestyle updates to maintain versatility and interest with her followers.
If you need even more inspiration, pull up a chair to the account of Progressive Calisthenics (@progressive_calisthenics). The accounts curator – Kenneth Gallarzo, VP World Calisthenics Organisation – has grown his account by dedicating each and every post to his specific micro community: calisthenics. As well as ensuring his photographs look as close to professional quality as possible, his videos provide his followers with small snapshots of calisthenics tutorials as well as fitness feats that they can aspire to. In his case, aspiration is his account’s main driver.
Cleaneatz (@cleaneatz) is a noteworthy account providing culinary expertise and entertaining fitness quotes. The two Cleaneatz girls share an array of colourful meals detailing the ingredients and recipes for everything they post and encourage their audience to give it a go. The quotes interspersed between the foodporn are full of humour and are visually appealing. The community they have created is eating with their eyes and are inspired by the healthy and fitness-friendly choices on display.
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PT TRAINING Here at GXT we offer evidence-based and time efficient courses that will help capitalise upon every fitness trend with speed and skill. Our courses are backed by Skills Active and REPs, also priced to beat any of our competition. Our tutors are the very best in the industry including Jayne Nicholls, Monica Linford and Rachel France.
FITNESS PROFESSIONALS IN DEMAND I STAY AHEAD OF FITNESS TRENDS WITH QUALIFICATIONS FROM GROUP X TRAINING
Nominated for multiple awards in the UK, including the Active Training Awards 2014, GXT are recognised as the training provider that fulfils the needs and requirements of the working fitness professional. Our best selling qualifications include: • Level 3 Yoga Diploma • Intrinsic Biomechanics – iMoveFreely Certification • Level 3 Award in Designing Pre and Post Natal Exercise Programmes
n their top 10 predictions for 2015, The American College of Sports Medicine discovered that 'Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals' and 'Yoga' ranked third and seventh respectively, showing a clear incline in demand for high quality fitness professionals, providing a range of services.
• Level 1 Wellness Coaching Certificate Take a look at all of our qualifications and live events for 2015 at www.groupxtraining. com or call 0116 239 6802 to speak to Jayne Nicholls to discuss how we can help you move forward in your career.
A NEW YOGA, AN EXCITING YOGA, A YOGA FOR EVERYONE Designed for fitness instructors to teach Yoga using their skills, knowledge and Group X Factor. With over 1750 instructors teaching Freestyle fitness Yoga we are the brand to be trusted.
• Freestyle Fitness Yoga 2 Day Certification • Hot Yoga Certification • Level 3 Yoga Diploma • Young Yoga “HUGE thank you for yesterday.You are such an inspiring person and I left the session feeling excited and raring to crack on with the diploma. You empowered me to believe I can be a great yoga teacher and I’m now really looking forward to the remainder of the qualification! ”
0116 239 6802 | www.groupxtraining.com
WORKOUTS
THE RUSSIAN ARMS WORKOUT PERSONAL TRAINER RUSS HOWE SHOWS HOW TO PUSH YOUR WEIGHT WORK TO THE LIMIT
>
ROUNDS:
This is a heavy circuit workout with minimal rest. Use weights which cause failure at, or just before, the desired rep target. The weight should increase as the reps decrease. Complete all six exercises in the circuit back-to-back, then take 90 seconds rest and begin the next round.
Round 1: 30 reps of each exercise Round 2: 25 reps of each exercise Round 3: 20 reps of each exercise Round 4: 15 reps of each exercise Round 5: 10 reps of each exercise
EXERCISES:
ROPE CURL
ROPE PUSHDOWN
BEHIND-THE-BACK CABLE CURL
DIAGONAL DUMBBELL KICKBAC
TOP TIP: Keep your elbows back, so the arm is in line with trailing leg when extended. This will increase tension on biceps.
TOP TIP: Keep your elbows higher than your body throughout. This will mean you're pushing diagonally, instead of straight back, which greatly increases tension on triceps.
CABLE REVERSE CURL
OVERHEAD CABLE EXTENSION
AND IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH...
K
FINISHER EXERCISE - 100 CHIN
UPS
If you make it through five rounds above, your finisher is 100 chin ups. No matter how long it takes.
Want more from Russ Howe? Then check out www.fitgurus.com
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WORKOUTS
12 days
OF FITNESS
BRITISH KETTLEBELL CHAMPION JAMIE LLOYD SHOWS HOW YOU CAN BUILD UP YOUR WORKOUT THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVE SEASON
BY JAMIE LLOYD Jamie is the Director of Buggybells and runs his successful fitness business in SW London. He is also a Kettlebell Sport enthusiast and has trained from the very best in the world, as well as being an international fitness author. Check him out at www.iamjamielloyd.com
Just like the Christmas song, the 12 days of fitness is the ultimate challenge in which you start day one with a single exercise and each day you will be given a different challenge to build upon. So go ahead – challenge yourself and complete it!
1st day of fitness:
75 PUSH-UPS
2nd day of fitness:
TWO MINUTE PLANK
3rd day of fitness:
300 SQUATS 52
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4th day of fitness:
50 BURPEES
WORKOUTS
5000M ROW, AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
5th day of fitness:
x6 HILL SPRINTS WITH 30 SECONDS REST
6th day of fitness:
7th day of fitness: 8th day of fitness:
x8 20KG KETTLEBELL SNATCHES, WITH 20 SECONDS ON AND 10 SECONDS REST
40 PULL-UPS
12 day of fitness: th
9 day of fitness: th
25 MAN MAKERS USING 20KG DUMBBELLS x10 BODYWEIGHT SQUATS, x10 KETTLEBELL SWINGS, x10 PUSH-UPS, 5 x10 DIPS WITH th 10 day MINIMAL REST
of fitness:
RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN IN 11 MINUTES
11th day of fitness:
12 MINUTES OF 20KG KETTLEBELL SWINGS
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WORKOUTS
DYNA BAND
KATIE GARNER TRIES OUT SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR RESISTANCE BAND MOVES WITH DYNA-BAND
WORKOUT Russian twist
Supinated clamshell
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Catering for all fitness abilities, the Dyna-Band comes in a range of colours, our purple version the heavy strength option. Working key areas such as your arms, thighs, waist, hips and stomach, a Dyna-Band workout can help tone, strengthen and condition your entire body.
Want to have a go? Perform three sets of 10-15 reps of each of the following moves, with 30-60 seconds rest in between.
Standing double bicep curl
Glute Bridge
The push-up is ideal for working the chest, shoulder and triceps. Place the Dyna-Band around your back and hold the ends, pin the band to the floor, with hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, move your knees back so they are at a diagonal, leaving your shoulders inline with your hands. Make sure to keep your head inline with your spine and abdominals held tight. Take a deep breath in, as you breathe out bend the elbows lowering the body to the floor, as a whole. Slowly return to the starting position, as you breathe in, keeping elbows soft.
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riginally designed for hospital rehabilitation patients, the Dyna-Band has now taken on a new lease of life as one of the top resistance workout aids, made from natural latex. Providing a resistance for muscles to work against, the Dyna-Band encourages muscle balance, builds endurance and can help increase your flexibility as well as relieve stress. They can even be used to help prevent muscle injury, especially when used to warm up before a gym session.
Push-up
Mountain climbers
WORKOUTS
TIP: Make sure you try to get your opposite knee to your elbow
Spiderman
Moving from spiderman straight into mountain climbers is a great way to work your core, waist and legs. Tie or clip the Dyna-Band in a loop around your thighs, just above your knees, and then get into a plank position so that you are resting on your forearms and your feet are hip distance apart. Your bodyweight should be well balanced and your weight evenly distributed, Keep your head in line with your spine and abdominals tight to support your spine. Slowly bring your right knee up and outwards towards your right ear, before returning to the starting position and repeating with the left leg. Resume the plank position as above but this time with wider legs for the mountain climbers. This time alternate bringing right knee to left elbow and left knee to right elbow.
TIP: Try and get your knee all the way to your ear, for example, your right knee to your right ear
Tricep kickback
Squat
Bent over row
Bent over rear delt fly
Woodchoppers
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WORKOUTS
DUMBBELL COMPLEX
WORKOUT
PT KRISTOPH THOMPSON SHOWS THAT FULLY UTILISING ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT CAN STILL CREATE EXERCISE IMPACT Photographer: Marcel Grabowski (www.marcelgphotography.com) Model: Nadia Al-Bazaz (Nadia ABSolute Personal Training) Clothing: Lija (www.lijastyle.com)
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Try this dumbbell complex for a short but intense workout that challenges the upper and lower body. You’ll just need a pair of dumbbells and a small amount of space. Complete six reps of each exercise then move on to the next without pausing until you have performed all six exercises. Rest for up to one minute and repeat the complex, this time performing five reps of each exercise. Continue in this fashion, reducing the number of reps each time until you reach just one rep of each exercise.
Reverse lunge
Begin standing with feet hip width apart, holding the dumbbells with arms by your sides. Take a large step backwards and come into a lunge position, keeping your upper body upright – head and chest up. Ensure that the front knee stays in line with the toes. Straighten the legs and step your feet back together. Repeat to complete six reps on one leg then change legs.
Push press
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Begin standing with feet shoulder width apart, holding the dumbbells level with your shoulders, palms towards each other. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your upper body upright. Quickly straighten your legs and push the dumbbells up, straightening your arms. Bend your arms to return to the start position then repeat.
WORKOUTS
Front squat
Begin standing with feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, holding the dumbbells level with your shoulders, palms facing each other. Bend your hips and knees to come into a squat, keeping your back straight and chest up. Straighten your legs to return to the start and repeat.
Floor press
Lay on the floor with your hips and knees bent. Hold the dumbbells so your forearms are pointing straight up, elbows level with mid-chest/sternum. Straighten your arms, bringing the dumbbells together above the chest. Slowly bend your arms to return to the start then repeat.
Romanian deadlift
Begin standing with feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent, holding the dumbbells with arms by your sides. Bend the hips, keeping your knees slightly bent and taking your hands down the legs to mid-shin level, pushing your hips back as you do so. Keep your back straight, chest up and shoulders pulled back. Reverse the movement to return to the start and repeat.
Bent over row Bend forward from the hips so your shoulders are slightly higher than your hips, keeping your knees soft and back straight. Your arms should be straight, holding the dumbbells with palms facing each other. This is your starting position. Bend your arms to bring the dumbbells to your sides, keeping your elbows close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do so. Slowly straighten your arms to return to the start and repeat.
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RRP
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Focus on your workout. Not your stuff. GYMPARTNER ACCESSORY CASE The insulating case holds your phone and your keys and adheres to gym equipment with magnets. The stainless steel water bottle sterilises easily and won’t taint you favourite hydration, be it water or a change of flavour.
“I was working out in the gym one day when I dropped a weight on my smartphone. $500 later I said to myself there’s gotta be a better way to protect my valuables at the gym and keep them with me. So I decided to make something myself. Couple of prototypes later I had the GYMpartner accessory case.” - GYMpartner Inventor Graham Inglis
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HOME-BASED PILLOWCASE WORKOUT
WORKOUTS
Warm up Fold up the pillowcase and lay on the ground. Hop over the pillowcase. Start on two feet going over front to back for one minute. Then increase the intensity by jumping on one foot side to side over the pillowcase. One minute for each foot.
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LONDON-BASED PERSONAL TRAINER AND WELLNESS COACH MOLLIE MILLINGTON SHOWS THAT MAKING THE BED DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CHORE
1 - Seal walk
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Begin in a press up position with hands under your shoulders and bum in alignment with your head. Drag your feet as you ‘walk’ forward on your hands. Keep your abs tight and continue to breathe. Walk 30 paces three times.
2 - Side slide lunges Stand up straight with left foot on the pillowcase. Slide left foot out to the side as you keep the leg straight and bend right leg as you lower down. When you reach your lower range of motion, squeeze your inner thigh as you slide your left foot back to centre. Perform 20 reps on each side.
3 - Woodchooppers Place something to add weight into the pillowcase. Start in a medium squat with the pillowcase outside of your left knee. Swing the pillowcase diagonally up over your right shoulder as you stand up. ‘Chop’ the pillowcase down to the outside of your left knee again as you sit into a squat. Repeat 15 times on each side.
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4 - Wash the floorboard abs Start on your knees with the pillowcase in front of you on a slippery floor. Push the pillowcase away from you. Keep your abs engaged as you slide out and then back in. Aim for 15 slides.
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5 - Leg lifts Lay on the floor and put both feet into the pillowcase. As you try to spread legs apart to work your outer thighs, lift your legs up 90 degrees so that they are straight up in the air. Slowly lower down without letting your legs touch the floor then lift up again. Perform 20 reps.
6 - Leg abduction Stand with both feet inside the pillowcase. Keep your leg straight as you bring the left leg away from your right leg. Count to five and keep pressing out when the pillowcase limits your range of motion. Do 15 reps on each side.
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FOOD FOCUS
Cranberries
CRANBERRIES HAVE SOME GREAT BENEFITS TO OUR BODIES THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT – START MUNCHING TODAY TO FEEL THE DIFFERENCE
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hese small, red berries may not look like much, but they actually have quite an impact on your health and body, inside and out. With reknown anti-ageing properties, cranberries can also strengthen your immune system which is ideal as this time of year when colds and flu are rife. They also promote weight loss and can relieve skin conditions – great in the run up to the season of Christmas parties. More health-conscious benefits include helping kidney and bladder problems, combating heart disease, lowering cholesterol, helping against urinary tract infections and relieving dental problems. This little fruit can even improve your mental health too, so make sure you stock up on the cranberry sauce with your turkey this Christmas.
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BANANA + MANGO
RAMP UP YOUR SHAKE
PROTEIN SHAKE ADD SOME VA-VA-VOOM TO YOUR PLAIN PROTEIN SHAKE WITH THIS TASTY TAKE ON A SMOOTHIE CLASSIC
1/2 A CUP OF CHOPPED MANGO
TWO SCOOPS OF WHEY PROTEIN POWDER We're sure you are all well versed in the benefits of whey protein powder – helping you to lose body fat whilst retain muscle, protein powder is useful for building muscle strength as well as keeping you fuller for longer so that you can avoid the biscuit barrel.
Sometimes labelled as a 'super fruit', mango is a fanastic source of vitamin A, with 100g providing 25% of your recommended daily dose. With plenty of prebiotic dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals to boot, mango is definitely a winner. It's a great way to get your potassium quota, which in turn will help control your heart rate and blood pressure. Mango is also a good way to boost vitamin C.
ONE BANANA ONE CUP OF ALMOND MILK This plant-based alternative to dairy milk is low in calories, with unsaturated fat which makes it good for your heart. It also boasts a healthy store of magnesium, selenium, manganese and vitamin E so this nutrientdense option is ideal for ramping up your shake. The magnesium will also help break food down into energy – perfect preworkout.
Rich in pectin, this yellow power fruit can aid your digestion as well as act as a prebiotic to help stimulate the good bacteria in your gut. They are also useful for creating the digestive enzymes that assist your body in absorbing nutrients, one of these being calcium, which is vital for strong and healthy bones. You can stay on your toes for longer, as bananas also keep you feeling alert, stablising your blood sugar levels.
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EAT FIT
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS NUTRITIONIST MARIE FELTON BRINGS FESTIVE FLAVOURS TO THE FOREGROUND WITH THESE LIGHT OPTIONS
Top Tip
Pre soak the fruit over night in either apple/orange juice or your favourite spirit
SKINNY CHRISTMAS CAKE To give this a luxurious Christmas but 'skinny' feel, before cooking put half the mixture in the tin/mould, then a thin layer of marzipan, and place the rest of the mixture on top and bake. This way the marzipan melts into the cake its delicious. Of course you can put the marzipan and the traditional white icing on the top and decorate in the traditional Christmas way - I like to decorate mine with roasted almonds and glacé fruits. Store in a cool place it will keep for up to a week.
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INGREDIENTS:
METHOD:
• 85g dates • 240ml water • 85g plain wholemeal flour • 5g plain white flour • 2tsp baking powder • 115g chopped dried apricots • 85g mixed nuts, roughly chopped • 1tsp mixed spice • 340g mixed dried fruit • 4tbsp orange juice • 4tsp Brandy • 4tbsp rum • Nuts for decoration
1) Preheat the oven to 170°C or gas mark 4. 2) Place the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. 3) Cook gently for around five minutes or until the dates are soft. 4) Mash, then add all the other ingredients in to the pan and stir well. 5) Spoon the mixture into a greased 900g cake tin or silicone mould and smooth the top so it's level. 6) Bake for about 90 minutes.
EAT FIT
GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES
INGREDIENTS: • 350g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda • 2tsp ground ginger • 1tsp ground cinnamon • 125g coconut oil or butter • 100g light soft brown sugar • 1 free range egg • 4tbsp golden syrup Plus to decorate - writing icing and cake decorations METHOD:
Feeling festive? See what other Christmas treats Marie has on offer at www.nakednut35.blog.co.uk
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. 2) Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. 3) Add the coconut oil and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. 4) Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add both to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together to form a dough. 4) Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 6) Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. 7) Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using Christmas cutters, cut out the gingerbread angel shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them. 8) Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. 9) When cooled you can decorate with the writing icing and seasonal cake decorations.
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POPPY PICKS
This recipe will make six servings of around 1 ½ cups each
PEANUT NOODLES WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN + VEGETABLES
STRUGGLING TO FIND A NON-FESTIVE RECIPE THIS MONTH? OUR REGULARS EDITOR POPPY DAVIDSON SHARES A YUMMY DINNER TIME ALTERNATIVE
INGREDIENTS: • 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts • 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter • 2tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce • 2tsp minced garlic • 1 ½ tsp chilli-garlic sauce, or to taste • 1tsp minced fresh ginger • 8oz whole wheat spaghetti • 1 12oz bag fresh vegetable medley, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas
Bare Naked Noodles Bare Naked Noodles can be used as a replacement for rice and pasta in a variety of dishes. Low in fat, sugar, carbohydrates as well as gluten-free, they are perfect for anyone that wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle. £24.50 for 10 from www.barenakedfoods.co.uk
METHOD: 1) Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking the Bare Naked noodles. 2) Meanwhile, place the chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, which should take 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size strips. 3) Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chilli-garlic sauce and ginger in a large bowl. 4) Cook Bare Naked’s noodles in the boiling water until not quite tender. Add vegetables and cook until the noodles and vegetables are just tender, which should take about a minute. 5) Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse Bare Naked’s noodles and vegetables with cool water to refresh. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the peanut sauce; add the noodles, vegetables and chicken; toss well to coat. Serve warm or chilled.
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Gold Standard Nutrition These chicken breasts are full of protein, low in both fat and salt, and would provide the perfect post-gym meal. Tasting particularly good with rice, pasta and sweet potato, these chicken breasts are aimed at sportspeople who are looking to improve their recovery and performance. £21.50 from www.goldstandardnutrition.co.uk
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EAT FIT
FESTIVE MENU
Embrace clean eating with Absolute Nutrition, who aim to provide recipes for healthy wholefood meals and snacks. Nutrition tips, delicious recipes and advice are all available via their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/AbsoluteNutritionFood
ABSOLUTE NUTRITION SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MEALTIME TREATS, FOR BOTH SWEET AND SAVOURY DELIGHTS
STIR FRY TURKEY This recipe will serve two people, take 10 minutes to prepare and take approximately 15-20 minutes to cook on the hob. INGREDIENTS: • Leftover turkey, enough for two portions • Chorizo sausage • 1 medium onion • 1 small to medium yellow pepper (or another colour of choice) • 6 to 8 medium sized mushrooms • 2 medium to large tomatoes • 1 dessert spoon (not heaped) coconut oil to cook METHOD: 1) Chop the onion, mushroom, pepper, chorizo and turkey into bite size portions. 2) Fry the onion in the coconut oil and as it starts to soften add the pepper, turkey and chorizo; then cook for further five to eight minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes for the last couple of minutes of cooking time. Serve with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to taste or add fresh chillies to the ingredients list for extra heat to keep you warm.
SCRAMBLED EGG & CHORIZO SAUSAGE I don’t know about you but I love scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast on Christmas morning; it’s become a thing we do. How about this as a spicy alternative? You could even swap the chorizo in this recipe for smoked salmon (just add it at the very end of the cooking process or serve it on the side). This recipe serves two people, will take 10 minutes to prepare and takes about 15-20 minutes to cook on the hob. INGREDIENTS: • 4 medium to large eggs • Chorizo sausage • 2 handfuls of kale • 1 medium onion • Knob of butter • Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Serve with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to taste.
METHOD: 1)Chop and fry the onion in the butter. 2) As it starts to soften add the sliced chorizo sausage and cook for further 3-5 minutes. 3) Add the kale and allow it to wilt. Then add the eggs into the same pan and keep stirring until fully cooked (scrambled).
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EAT FIT
SPICED BANANA CHEESECAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL BITES This recipe will make about 26 balls, with 10-20 minutes preparation time and 45 minutes chilling time. INGREDIENTS: For the centre: • 1 can butter beans or chickpeas, drained (235g) and washed • 1 heaped tbsp of cocoa powder • 1 heaped tbsp of manuka honey • 1 heaped tbsp of cashew butter
This recipe will serve two people, take 10-15 minutes to prepare and a further 30-60 minutes in the fridge. INGREDIENTS: For the base: • 7 dates • 2tbsp ground almonds • 2tbsp flaxseed • 1 heaped tsp coconut oil • ½ - 1tsp five spice (to taste)
For the cheesecake: • 1 medium ripe banana • 2 heaped tbsp mascarpone cheese For the topping / decoration: • Goji berries • Sprinkle of five spice
METHOD: Base: 1) Blitz all the ingredients in a food chopper. The ingredients should by fine but sticky to allow you to mould it.
For the coating: • 30-50g butter • 75g dark chocolate
2) Divide the base between two individual portioned sized ramekins and press into the base. Leave them in the fridge whilst you make the main cheesecake mix.
METHOD: 1) To make the centre, blend all the ingredients in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste. Roll into small (bite size) balls.
If you’re not a fan of christmas pudding or mince pies then this could be an alternative dessert treat on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. I’ve put this together for two people; if you want to make more just increase the ingredients and use a larger cheesecake dish!
You can freeze these; if you do, remove at least five minutes before consuming. If you fancy adding a bit of texture to the coating, roll in seeds or crushed nuts and allow to set. Or to make them festive for Christmas sprinkle them with finely ground unsweetened desiccated coconut (milled).
2) For the coating, adjust the butter for thickness of melted chocolate consistency. More butter makes it thinner (and go further). Melt the butter and chocolate together and coat the small round balls of dough. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Cheesecake mix: 1) Mash the banana with a fork, mix in the mascarpone cheese and blend to a smooth thick mix. 2) Divide the topping into the two, currently chilling, ramekins and smooth the top (use the back of a spoon). Place back in the refrigerator and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (although it still tastes good straight away) Topping: 1) Sprinkle the top with a few goji berries and a fine sprinkle of five spice. Perhaps add a sprinkle of walnuts too.
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EAT FIT
HONESTLY HEALTHY
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
SELF-TAUGHT CHEF AND HEALTHY FOOD AUTHOR NATASHA CORRETT SHOWS THAT CHRISTMAS CLASSICS DON'T HAVE TO BE CALORIFIC. THIS IS A BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF CHRISTMAS PUDDING. PACKED WITH NUTRITIOUS FRUIT, IT IS GOOEY, SMOOTH AND A REAL SHOW STOPPER Honestly Healthy was founded by Natasha Corrett back in 2010. Now a bestselling author of titles such as Eat With Your Body In Mind The Alkaline Way, she is an advocate of healthy eating and of adopting an alkaline diet, teaching cookery classes across the country as well as offering a ‘Fridge Fill’ service. For more recipes and to find out more about Honestly Healthy visit www.honestlyhealthyfood.com or get the new Honestly Healthy app for £2.99.
INGREDIENTS: • 350g ground almonds • 2 free range organic eggs • 50g coconut oil or vegan butter • 100ml date syrup • 200g pears • 100g raisins For the syrup: • 50g currents • 150g apricots • 1 cup of brewed chai tea • 100g dates • ¼ cup of coconut palm • 1 orange sugar • 1 lemon • ¼ cup of date syrup • 250ml water • 2 chai tea bags • 1 star anise • ¼ tsp cinnamon • ¼ tsp ginger METHOD: 1) Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. 2) Dice the apricots and dates and put into a bowl with the other dried fruits. Boil the kettle and pour 250ml of hot water over 2 chai teabags and leave to stew for 30 minutes. 3) Chop the pear into small 1cm cubed chunks and add to the dried fruit. Pour the stewed tea over the dried fruit with the zest and juice of the orange and just the zest of the lemon. Also into the bowl add the star anise, cinnamon and ginger. Leave to one side until all the tea has been absorbed by the fruit. 4) In a separate bowl, mix together the oil (or vegan butter) with the ground almonds. Add the beaten eggs and the date syrup to the mixture and mix until combined. 5) Remove the star anise from the fruit mixture and then place half of the fruit mix into a blender or food processor. Blend until a chunky consistency and add back into the rest. Mix this fruit into the almond mixture and combine. 6) In a pudding bowl, butter the inside then line with baking paper in the bottom and all around the sides. Pour the mixture in and then cover with a muslin cloth and secure with either an elastic band or string. 7) Fill a deep baking tray with boiling water and put the pudding bowl into it – make sure the water comes up to as high as possible on the bowl. Put into the oven and cook for 4.5 to 5 hours. Make sure you top up the water in the baking tray so it stays high up on the sides. If the top of the muslin starts to go brown just put some tin foil over the top to stop the top of the pudding burning. 8) To make the syrup put all ingredients into a pan and leave until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is the desired consistency.
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Serve with chai syrup, pomegranate coulis and cashew cream for the ultimate decedent Christmas pudding.
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Compliment your business with a Gym Chef franchise
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Delivers healthy, bespoke, fresh food hampers to your PT clients to support an approved diet
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can earn commission for every food hamper delivered to your clients. Your clients will also have fantastic self-management access to their own online diet planner, allowing them to fully engage with their new lifestyle. Having fresh food hampers delivered directly to their door helps clients stay on track with a healthy eating plan which supports the hard work and effort you both put in at the gym.
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EAT FIT
Protein Chef Heather loves nothing more than training and hitting the gym, so devising delicious cake and sweet treat recipes that won’t undo all the hard work became essential. See what other recipes Protein Chef have at www.proteinchef.co.uk
ALMOND, GINGER + DARK CHOCOLATE PROTEIN CHEESECAKE
GYM-LOVING PROTEIN CHEF DEMONSTRATES HOW DECADENT DESSERTS THIS CHRISTMAS DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE YOU TIPPING THE SCALES METHOD: INGREDIENTS: • 500g plain quark • 300g extra low fat cream cheese • 2 scoops white choc Muscle Mousse (or you can substitute for 60g vanilla flavoured casein) • 1tsp almond extract • 200g ginger oatcakes (or you can use wholemeal crackers and ginger extract) • 2tbsp of peanut butter or coconut oil • 50g dark chocolate
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C 2) Place the biscuits/crackers in a blender and blend until finely crushed. Alternatively put them in a sandwich bag and hit them with a rolling pin. Melt the peanut butter or coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds. Add to the biscuits and stir until fully coated. Pour the mixture into an eight inch loose bottomed cake tin and press the mixture down as tightly as you can (a small flat bottomed saucepan works well for this). 3) In a separate bowl mix together the quark, cream cheese, protein powder and almond extract. Beat it as hard as you can to ensure there are no lumps of powder. Pour the mixture on top of the biscuit base and level out. 4) Bake on a middle or low shelf for 35 minutes. The top should not colour too much; if it does turn the oven down slightly. You still want the middle of your cheesecake to ‘wobble’ when you take it out, so don’t wait until it is fully set as it will set further once it is chilled. 5) Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before drizzling over melted dark chocolate. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of four hours before removing from the tin.
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BAKED APPLES SPICED BLUEBERRIES WITH
EAT FIT
Paleo with Mrs P is an imaginative food blog sharing Emma’s thoughts, recipes, lifestyle and fitness tips, all centred around her own journey of paleo eating. Check out what she has to say at www.paleowithmrsp.com
FOOD BLOGGER MRS P GIVES PALEO EATING A FESTIVE MAKEOVER This recipe will serve four people
METHOD: 1) Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
INGREDIENTS: • 4 Bramley cooking apples • 1tsp cinnamon • 1tsp coconut oil • ¼ tsp nutmeg • ½ tsp ground cloves • ¼ cup coconut palm sugar • 1 cup frozen blueberries • 1tbsp flaked almonds
2) Core the middles out of the apples (I use a knife and cut out about one inch square). 3) Cut the bottom off the core (about half an inch) and put back in to the bottom of the apple to avoid too much spillage. 4) In a bowl, place the frozen blueberries, coconut oil, sugar and spices and mix together (just a note, the coconut will break in to smaller lumps). 5) Pack each apple with the mixture, pressing down firmly. 6) Place in the oven for about 20 minutes and then add the flaked almonds to the top and scoop any of the fruit juices that have escaped in the baking tray back on top of the apples. 7) After a further five minutes when the almonds are toasted and browned and the apples soft, bring out of the oven and serve straight away with homemade custard and a sprinkling of seeds.
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INTERVIEW
'MY MAIN FOCUS IS ON
DITCHING THE GUILT & TAKING ACTION' KATIE GARNER SPEAKS TO HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS COACH JOANNE HENSON ABOUT HOW TO INSPIRE CLIENTS PAST PREVIOUS EXCUSES
Joanne is the author of What’s Your Excuse For Not Eating Healthily? and What’s Your Excuse For Not Getting Fit? Both are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. See what else Joanne offers on her website www.joannehenson.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @Joannemh and @whats_yr_excuse
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INTERVIEW
T
he indulgence of Christmas is fast on the horizon, with an abundance of rich foods and a packed social calendar steering clients away from their regular training and diet routines. As personal trainers, you may have heard your fair share of excuses from clients, and even have whittled them down to a succinct list. This is exactly what health and weight loss coach Joanne Henson has done in her latest book, What's Your Excuse for Not Getting Fit?, where she takes typical client excuses and offers advice and suggestions on how to combat them. Explaining the motives behind her newest guide, Joanne says 'I was hearing the same excuses from my coaching clients over and over and again, and noticed that in many cases the excuses had become firmly held beliefs and self-fulfilling prophecies. Coaching is all about overcoming obstacles in order to make progress and succeed, and I wanted to write something which offered people new ways of thinking about their excuses, encouraged them to be more imaginative in their approach, suggested easy changes to make and helped them succeed with their fitness goals.'
to the way you eat. I usually encourage my clients to make one small change at a time (eg. cut out sugary drinks, have protein at breakfast), which over time add up to a major shift in the way they eat. If they eat consistently well they’ll lose weight slowly and keep it off.'
Dealing with excuses Joanne believes that the best way to devise a detailed fitness strategy for a client is to take the time to really understand what they want.'When someone says “I want to tone up and lose a bit of weight”, ask more about that – what does “tone up” mean to them? How much weight? Ask what they’ve tried before and why they feel it didn’t work, as this will have shaped their current beliefs about exercise. Ask about their lifestyle – how much time are they willing to find for exercise each week? Do they like variety or routine? The more you understand how someone feels about their body and exercise the more you can tailor your work with them to suit,' she explains.
your client does start wheeling out the excuses, Joanne recommends firstly reminding them why they Do tell them when you embarked on their fitness start seeing results – there’s journey in the first place, nothing like having others whether this is 'the shapely acknowledge your progress body you wanted, the to keep you on track As well as looking at obstacles charity run you’re planning and issues surrounding doing, the weight you wanted exercise, Joanne also helps to lose, and all the other health her clients with their food and diet benefits that being fit brings.' goals. Speaking about the relationship She also emphasises that no matter what between food and exercise, Joanne says 'I mood clients are in, or what time is available think it’s absolutely key, but unfortunately to them, they can still engage in some most people see food and exercise as two form of physical activity – it's all about opposing forces, and use exercise as a mixing it up and keeping routines fresh punishment or to counteract eating too and interesting. 'Too tired for the usual much or eating junk. In fact a poor diet will 45 minute run – how about just doing 15 limit the results of exercise, leading people minutes? Your workout’s boring – how to get discouraged, whereas a healthy diet about trying something new, or asking one will fuel effective workouts and maximise of the instructors at the gym for some new results. Once people understand this and ideas? You can’t get up in the mornings – improve their diet they are far more likely to then try doing your workout at lunchtime enjoy exercise and stick with it.' or after work instead. There’s always an Joanne also despairs of diets, especially alternative approach,' Joanne emphasises. fads of yo-yo dieting where people looking 'Remember that the workout you’re trying to lose weight will drop the pounds for a to wriggle out of is one hour of your life – period of time, before slowing putting the if you’d rather be doing something else you weight back on again. 'Don’t diet in the first can always do it after your workout!' place!' Joanne begs. 'When people embark Joanne tailors each of her coaching session on a diet they usually see it as a project with to her specific client, explaining 'they all a start and an end date, after which they go have different obstacles, issues, limiting back to their usual way of eating. So the only beliefs and knowledge gaps'. She also aims way to avoid this yo-yo effect is to stop the to help clients rid themselves of guilt and diets and instead make permanent changes
Joanne's top tip:
Tackling nutrition
JOANNE'S TOP TEN EXCUSES FOR CLIENTS AVOIDING THE GYM: "I hate the gym" "I don't have the time" "It's raining" "It's too hard" "I don't have the energy" "I am worried about getting too muscley" (mainly women) "My friend couldn't come with me" "I wanted to go out with my mates instead" "Gym memberships are too expensive" "I got home from work, sat on the sofa, and couldn't get up again"
If
HOW TO TACKLE EXCUSES NOT TO EXERCISE If you're just starting out, take it slowly and be realistic about what you are going to be able to stick with. If you make it easy enough in the early days, you're less likely to need excuses in the first place. Don’t go so hard at the beginning so that it feels like torture – ease yourself into it, you can switch up the intensity later. Choose something you’re going to enjoy – for instance, if you hate rain and you’re sociable, don’t imagine running outside on your own is ever going to be your thing. Find something which suits your personality. take action, 'even if the first few actions are just tiny baby steps towards a healthier future.' She concludes 'Too many people beat themselves up for not sticking to diets and exercise regimes, but often it’s just because they haven’t found an approach which works for them – that’s what I aim to help them find, so that getting fit and lean becomes much easier.'
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BOOK REVIEW
YOGA FOR HEALTHY LOWER BACKS
THINKING ABOUT TEACHING YOGA? THEN GRAB THIS MUST-READ FROM LOTUS PUBLISHING FOR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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o be used as an educational aid, this 144 page, illustrated book is a must-have for any yoga lovers' book shelves, containing a collection of 120 photos to useful direct students through teaching yoga. Penned by yoga instructor Alison Trewhela and Specialist Advisor to the British Wheel of Yoga Anna Semlyen, the book guides readers on how to perform a variety of poses, as well as highlighting some of the key observations of each move. The experienced authors also comment on the variations of each step and some key benefits to be aware of, to
really boost and increase your knowledge in this popular field. The user-friendly manual also seeks to show how yoga can be used preventatively towards supporting the lower back, as well as holistically helping the body and mind. With useful chapters on incorporating yoga into your daily life, as well as advice on finding a teacher, this tomb really does cover all the bases for beginning out in yoga. As for instructing classes, you will also find helpful chapters
on weekly class themes and popular yoga sequences, to help you compile your own sessions with ease. Have a read for yourself and get the book for ÂŁ16.99 from www.lotuspublishing.co.uk
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EXPERTS
BASICS FOR THE FITNESS PROFESSIONAL
BY TOM GODWIN Tom Godwin (@TomForesight) is the Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services. He is a specialist in exercise referral, corrective exercise and helping other personal trainers improve their business. He is also involved with personal trainer education as a tutor, assessor, and course developer for Fitness Industry Education. Check him out at www.TomGodwin.co.uk
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have been a massive fan of Twitter ever since I first came across the platform a few years back. I initially loved the fact that it was fast paced and concise - something we all know is not always the case on other platforms with long rambling statuses. Within a few months I started to really see the benefits of Twitter for both marketing my business and also for networking with other likeminded fitness professionals. There are however a few tricks that can help to make Twitter work for you.
Trick 1 – your profile You have seconds to make an impact so ensure your image is engaging. Your bio should be clear about what you are and what you stand for. Twitter also allows you to link to one URL so your new-found followers can find out more about you. Make sure the URL you direct people to is relevant, and most importantly working.
Trick 2 – your tweets In order to get people engaging with you, you need to ensure that your tweets are interesting and worth the readers time. If you think of your tweets as more of headlines in a newspaper; they should be eye catching and make the reader want to
find out more or discuss the point with you. A great way to drive engagement is using good quality and relevant images. Research has shown that a tweet with a good image receives more favourites, retweets and clicks than text alone. Another key aspect of using Twitter is the hash tag. The idea behind the hash tag is to group tweets on similar topics making them easily searchable. Having a quick look at trending topics and finding commonly used hash tags in the fitness industry can greatly increase the number of people who find your tweets.
Trick 3 – interaction To make your followers keep following you, you should do your very best to reply to messages and tweets directed at you. By having interactions with your followers you will increase their loyalty to your brand, and this will also help to increase your status as a leader in your niche.
Trick 4 – building followers It is important to think about how you can maximise the views of your tweets. Think about the days and times of day that your followers will be online; there are a number of tools that can help you find this out such as Sendible or Socialbro. Many of these tools will also allow you to schedule your tweets so you can preload tweets to be sent out at particular times. People love to be mentioned so by using the @ tag to mention people in your tweets you
TOM'S TOP TWITTER TIP: Be consistent with it post regularly and kee p interacting and your followers will grow pull them into the in no time conversation or even start one. This should especially be used if you are sharing someone else’s content. One word of caution, remember it is not all about the number of followers you have but it is more important to have quality. It is better to have a handful of followers who interact and love your content than thousands that are silent.
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PT BUSINESS
MANAGING YOUR PT BUSINESS OVER
Mark Egan is a personal training manager at MotivatePT who provides personal training careers to trainers throughout the UK.
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hristmas is a time of year characterised by holidays and indulgence – not normally a time to focus upon exercise and weight loss. With office parties looming and Christmas lunches and mince pies the order of the day, most of us may not be thinking much about our waistlines. In fact many personal training clients may even give exercise the heave-ho as they put their sessions on hold for a week or two over the festive period. Unfortunately this can cause a rather unwelcome downturn in a trainer’s monthly revenue. With the prospect of clients taking some time off, many personal trainers over Christmas follow the old adage that if you can’t beat them, join them and with that take a few weeks off themselves to enjoy family and friends. However whilst you may be quiet over Christmas itself you are on the verge of one of the busiest times of the year in any personal trainer’s calendar – January. Christmas is therefore the perfect time to get together a New Year action plan to start concentrating on developing business from both your existing clients, past clients and new prospects.
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CHRISTMAS
FIND OUT HOW PERSONAL TRAINERS CAN USE THEIR TIME PRODUCTIVELY OVER THE FESTIVE HOLIDAYS BY MARK EGAN FOCUSING UPON FORMER CLIENTS Start looking through your list of previous clients and put together an email to reach out to these clients with a definitive call-toaction that is personalised to each client. As you know these clients yourself and have trained them this better helps you to understand their goals and motivations which makes it easier for you to reach out to them. For example one of your previous clients may have been training with you to get in shape to run a marathon. Ask the client 'Did you eventually take part in that marathon? If you didn’t why not make this the year that you do!' Having an understanding of your former clients’ goals can help you market to them more effectively, thereby improving your conversion rate.
FOCUSING UPON EXISTING CLIENTS Whilst many of your current clients will take some time off at Christmas, remember that the more time a client takes off, the harder it can sometimes be for them to get back
on track. Try sending out a newsletter over Christmas to all current clients with tips and ideas for staying healthy over the festive period and attach a discount voucher off their January booking if made before 15th January. This can act as a great incentive to encourage them back to their routine in the first few weeks of the New Year.
FOCUSING UPON NEW CLIENTS Put a plan of action together to start targeting new prospects. This could be from referrals, word-of-mouth, flyers, local adverts, social media or online promotions depending upon how and where you manage your business. Look at capturing the New Year market by getting your marketing message out just after Christmas. Typically many people start thinking about their New Years resolutions soon after Boxing Day and so they may already be looking around for health and fitness options by this time. Special limited time offers or promotions for new customers can be a great way to capture new business. See more from Mark at www.motivatept.co.uk
PT BUSINESS
MAX OUT YOUR FITNESS CLASSES WITH NEW ONLINE TOOL
EVERCISE NO NEED TO GROAN AT GAPS IN GROUP EXERCISE, AS ADVERTISING YOUR SERVICES ONLINE COULD SEE A BOOST IN CLASS NUMBERS Unique website Evercise has hit the PT market, promising to help fitness professionals fill their indoor or outdoor group exercise classes by promoting individual services and events online. Offering incredible flexibility, personal trainers can sign up simply via Facebook or email to use Evercise to generate interest in a new class or fill leftover spaces in current classes, to fully utilise every minute of the time.
With no sign-up or membership costs, and only a small 10% commission taken per booking, Evercise could be the next big thing in PT business management. With a handy email alert after every booking, you can check out the details of your participants such as photo, full name and email address. You can create classes online that get automatically linked to your profile, so that potential clients can search and buy easily
via Evercise, with your events even being promoted automatically. Wasted fitness class spaces could be a thing of the past, as last minute availability can be snapped up after a simple search. Interested? Why not take a look today at www.evercise.com
STRUGGLING TO FILL YOUR CLASSES? FREE TO JOIN No membership fees, no hidden costs
FILL YOUR CLASSES Improve your promotional reach and generate more income
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facebook.com/evercise @evercise @evercisefitness www.evercise.com
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11/21/14 6:02 PM
EVENTS CALENDAR
Events
FILL YOUR DIARY WITH THESE FITNESS FOCUSED EVENTS
Devil Mud Run DATE: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd February 2015 VENUE: Stanley Pontlarge, Nr. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5HE COST: £45 for standard entry or £49 for last minute entry CONTACT: info@devilmudrun.co.uk MORE INFO: www.devilmudrun.com Looking for a new challenge to hit 2015 running? Then why not have a go at the Devil Mud Run, a unique 8km cross country course through the Cotswold Hills in Cheltenham. During the off-road, hilly route, you will have to conquer 31 man-made obstacles, including The Ice Dip, Swamp Thing, Slippery Slope, Satan's Steps, The Giant Wall and Haybale Mountain. A true test of stamina, you can complete the course solo or compete as part of a team as you jump, climb, wade and crawl your way to the finish line. Ideal for experienced runners looking to up the ante, but also accessible enough that beginners can triump too; this event is the perfect mix of challenges as well as a fun day out.
VITALITY READING HALF MARATHON DATE: Sunday 22nd March 2015 VENUE: Green Park, Reading COST: £35.00 for UKA affiliated club runners and £37.00 for non-members CONTACT: events@sweatshop.co.uk MORE INFO: www.readinghalfmarathon.com With a new-look course planned, Reading's popular fast and flat half marathon is back with a bang for 2015. Starting in Green Park, the 13.1 mile trek not only takes in a lap of scenic park, but also checks out the town centre and the university campus before concluding in the iconic Madejski Stadium, where it is expected that 15,000 friends and family will gather to cheer on racers. If you are toying with the idea of a half marathon but fancy trialling a smaller distance, then try your hand at the Green Park Challenge, which sees runners of all ages and abilities take on the more manageable 2.8km course. Ideal to incorporate into your training regime if you plan on racing in the London Marathon, and also a great way to raise money for your chosen cause, as charity places are available. With the 1st January closing deadline for entries looming, make sure you book your place today.
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PLOD Squad DATE: Friday 5th June 2015 VENUE: Cotswold Way COST: £99 for a team of four - an early bird discount if you book before 31st December, or £150 after this date CONTACT: 01403 327444 MORE INFO: www.action.org.uk/events/ overnight-plod-walks The PLOD Squad is the ultimate walking challenge, perfect for hard-core hikers. Covering an impressive 40 miles of undulating terrain, this overnight walk sets off at midnight, with participants armed with head torches and maps only. The event is also used to raise money for childrens charity Action Medical Research, with each team of four people asked to raise a minimum of £1,500. Currently developing treatments for babies affected by premature birth, helping children with disabilities and tackling rare diseases for which there are currently no cures, you can give your fitness test extra emphasis with this fundraising goal. Remember to pack your own kit bag, and have to hand a friend in a support vechicle equipped with food and drink to keep you well fuelled. However, a full hearty breakfast is also provided at the finish line for the ideal reward.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Eton Swim DATE: Monday 25th May 2015 VENUE: Dorney Lake, Berkshire COST: Ranges from £34.50 to £49.50 CONTACT: races@humanrace.co.uk MORE INFO: www.humanrace.co.uk Whether preparing for a triathlon, or just fancy trying something different, why not take your swim out of the local pool and have a go at open water swimming instead? This wet-suit clad activity, based in Berkshire, is famed for it's clear waters, and with a choice of four distances, you can easily tailor your swim to your ability level, whether you would prefer the beginners 750m or decide instead to opt for the 'swimmer's marathon' of 10km. Dorney Lake is a fantastic venue, as not only is it the number one triathlon location in the South East, but it was also the 2012 Olympic Rowing and Canoeing venue, with plenty of space for spectators to cheer you on the day.
UK FITNESS CONVENTION DATE: Tuesday 10th June 2015 VENUE: Wyboston Lakes Executive Conference Centre COST: £125 plus VAT for early bird prices until April, then prices are £155 plus VAT CONTACT: info@ukfc.org.uk MORE INFO: www.ukfc.org.uk
Ordnance Survey January Insanity Sportive DATE: Saturday 31st January 2015 8.00am VENUE: Sparsholt, Hampshire COST: £27 for adults, under 16's ride for free CONTACT: enquiries@ukcyclingevents.co.uk MORE INFO: www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events A brand new event for cyclists come 2015, the Ordnance Survey January Insanity Sportive is specifically geared towards clocking up base miles during the winter months, presenting the perfect opportunity to dust off your bike despite the nippy weather. Choose between the standard 40 mile course or the epic rated 57 mile version, as you tackle the all weather roads throughout Hmapshire. Taking in scenes from King's Worthy, Meon Valley and Otterbourne to name just a few, this picturesque route takes in a lot of climbs and hills to really get your leg muscles engaged, although you can always recooperate at a warm feed station for a cuppa if you feel the need. Checking out plenty of historical views, this gorgeous winter ride is ideal for maintaining your training over the darker days.
As a fitness professional, staying up to date with new trends, techniques and business skills is vital, so why not look in at the UK Fitness Convention, in Bedford. Showcasing innovative new products, the event is ideal for chasing networking opportunities as well as investigating education choices with plenty of information on CPD. You have the chance to tailor your visit to suit your requirements, with 14 separate sessions being held, as well as speeches from key note speakers. You can also find out more about the business aspects of working as a personal training or within the fitness industry, gaining information on strategy and leadership, marketing and communications, sales and retention as well as technology for business.
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INTERVIEW me so it will work for someone else. You have to be passionate about what you are doing as you, at the end of the day, are the person selling it,' she continued. Natasha tweaked her Fridge Fill service so that instead of delivering lunches five days a week, that had been home-prepared in her kitchen, she instead delivered three days worth of food all in one go, giving her more time to dedicate to the business side of the company. 'From buying the produce to making it, to delivering the food, to doing accounts, taking payments and trying to market myself at the same time it was hard work,' she confessed.
Alkaline on the agenda Looking forward, Honestly Healthy has plenty in the pipeline to continue promoting alkaline eating. 'I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to my business, I think of ideas all the time and love creating new things so I'm Natasha says 'Plan ahead – food prep always driving my staff crazy nights are key. I always spend one to two with the new idea,' she said. hours on a Sunday night making up roasted 'I get bored easily and love veggies, pulses and grains so that I have working on projects, so if things in the fridge to take to work I have something new to with me or ready for when I get develop within my company home from work, tired after a I feel that its always fresh. I long day.' also like to be the leader not the sheep in business and you need to keep creating to do that, so luckily I am a creative person!'
How can you stay healthy when you are short on time?
Is alkaline eating for you? Take a look at Natasha’s website www.honestlyhealthyfood.com to find out more.
'I RE-BRANDED MY WHOLE COMPANY TO BE
ALKALINE'
ALKALINE EATING ENTREPRENEUR AND FOOD WRITER NATASHA CORRETT SPEAKS TO KATIE GARNER ABOUT TURNING A TOXIN-FREE DIET INTO A BUSINESS
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utrition has become big business within the fitness sector, with increasing popularity for not only organic produce, but also paleo regimes, vegan diets and clean eating. Foodie Natasha Corrett, founder of Honestly Healthy, takes the notion of a diet to take care of your body even further with alkaline eating, upon which she has based her business. 'Eating the alkaline way is all about getting your body into its optimum state by eating more alkaline foods and less acid foods. Acid foods can cause disease in the body from build up of toxins to bloating, IBS, diabetes to acid reflux and much more serious health issues. When we eat food, the
body digests it and it is broken down and as a result has an alkaline or acid effect on the body,' Natasha explains.
Starting up Natasha was inspired to start Honestly Healthy back in 2010, taking her already flourishing Fridge Fill food delivery service to the next level by introducing alkaline recipes. 'I was already cooking and delivering healthy food to peoples offices around London, but after changing my life to lead an alkaline lifestyle I felt that it had such an effect on me, it could help others and I re-branded my whole company to be alkaline,' Natasha expanded. 'It worked for
In between consulting for big brand hotel chains, teaching private chefs as well as providing cookery demonstrations, its amazing that Natasha still has time for the various projects under the Honestly Healthy umbrella. She concludes 'If you eat bad food and don't take exercise you are not pumping endorphins around your body. Being healthy makes you happy!'
Acidic foods include: • Meat •Dairy
• Gluten • Wheat • Alcohol
• Coffee • Sugar
What energy boosting foods would you recommend? • Nuts • Seeds • Little pots of humous with crackers • Granola bars • Green smoothie with protein powder for during the day
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FITNESS HERO
Louise has has a full career so far with these fitness and modelling wins:
'LIFTING WEIGHTS HAS
SAVED MY LIFE' FITNESS MODEL, PERSONAL TRAINER, BRAND AMBASSADOR AND COMPETITION WINNER – IS THERE ANYTHING LOUISE GLOVER CAN'T DO? KATIE GARNER GETS THE DETAILS
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ouise Glover has quite a few strings to her bow, so to speak. Not only has she been modelling since the age of nine, tucking away wins in competitions such as Playboys Model of the Year and Miami Pro Universe, but she also has an impressive personal training CV too, developing her love of fitness into a full time career earlier this year. With qualifications in antenatal and postnatal fitness, kettlebell instruction, outdoor fitness camps and sports nutrition, Louise has big ambitions, even considering opening her own gym whilst studying life coaching come 2015. 'I've always been into my sports and exercise,' Louise says. 'I competed as a trampolinist and in athletics, so when I left school I studied NVQ sports and fitness to coach, teach and instruct.' Although also having the opportunity to model, Louise still retains a vivid place in the fitness industry, working at UPFitness in London as well as clocking up hours as a freelance PT. 'I can help both males and females. I specialise in general fat loss, strength training and pre and postnatal exercise,' she adds.
overcome so many obstacles from depression, low bone density and low self esteem in the last two years. By focusing on eating healthily and training hard, I sculpted my body to my idea of perfection. So after overcoming depression, getting into the best shape of my life was a massive bonus and gave me back my body confidence.' Focusing on the fitness industry has definitely given Louise new goals and the determination to succeed. 'Getting fit and healthy two years ago, set me on a new mission in life. Competing in fitness shows and personal training has now given me a whole new career in helping people achieve their full potential; body, mind, soul and I love helping people. So I have finally found my niche in life and got my smile back.' Louise concludes.
Following a paleo diet, since she's 'all for preventing disease and illness from eating whole, real foods', Louise takes her training regime seriously, especially since it's seen her through tough times in the past.
So, on the agenda for 2015? 'This year I've been the main model and European Brand Ambassador for Russell Athletic sportswear and I'm planning to help design the performance gym wear range in 2015,' she explains.
'I love my strength training,' she enthuses. 'Lifting weights has saved my life. I've
See more from Louise at www.bodybylouise.com
Saving strength
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• Miami Pro Universe Bikini - 1st Place Champion 2013/14 • WBFF Fitness (Denmark 2013) - Placed 3rd • WBFF Fitness (Iceland 2012) - Placed 3rd • WBFF Bikini (Iceland 2012) - Placed 3rd • Miami Pro Bikini Universe Champion 2013 - 1st Place • Miss American Dream Europe 2012 - 1st Place • Miss Hawaiian Tropic UK (Las Vegas 2007) - 1st Place • Playboys Model of the Year 2006 (International) 1st Place • Miss Great Britain Earth (Philippines 2002) - 1st Place
SPORTSWEAR TRENDS Based in the West End of London, Swedish personal trainer and fitness blogger Faya started her blog, Fitness on Toast, back in January 2013 as a way to share her food, fashion and fitness experience with her wealth of clients. See more of what Faya has to say at www.fitnessontoast.com
FEMALE FITNESS
Fashion BY FAYA NILSSON
Have your say at #FITGLAM
LONDON BASED PERSONAL TRAINER AND FITNESS BLOGGER FAYA NILSSON EXPLAINS HOW THE SPORTSWEAR UNIFORM IS EXPANDING FOR WOMEN
D
ressing sporty, and dressing chic are no longer mutually exclusive. Given that sportswear is our 'office uniform', that's a brilliant development, as if I'm not looking crisp or on-trend, I probably wouldn't want to train with me either. The relatively recent revolution started with tennis, which was injected with a vital shot of sport-chic by Monreal London, a high-end sports apparel brand, but that’s now extended across the whole sportswear landscape. Modern fitness fashion blends the clean lines of the catwalk with wearable, functional activewear which is super-elegant both in and out of the gym. However, the big fashion houses have still only made token gestures towards something resembling ‘sporty', with Chanel and their now-infamous ‘Couture Trainers‘, Fendi and Alexander Wang making a decent stab at high-end track trousers, while Stella McCartney has
gently waded into the premiumisation of Adidas lines. The worlds most influential fashion houses have been totally reactive to the debate, not setting the tone, as they do on all other matters style-related. Do they feel intimidated by the technological R&D might of an Adidas, the universal appeal of the approachable Nike branding, or perhaps just the sheer volume of choice out there for the consumer? Regardless, they’re missing the key trend of our time that’s causing small brands to startup faster than I can review them. The brands accepting this trend seem to worship the beauty of the female form, with materials and shapes that flatter and gently exaggerate our ‘good curves’. Where previously we had to rely on megabrands like Nike or Adidas for a pair of utilitarian (i.e. plain and boring) rough nylon tracksuit trousers, we can now spoil ourselves with breathable, moisture wicking fabrics which
look and feel like satin. The form of these clothes tends to be perfectly fitted and feel as light as a feather to wear. The light plays wonderfully off the silky materials too. Detailing is also transformed: subtle rouching on the chest, wrists and legs, combined with elegant chrome zip detailing, means people could actually wear today’s active apparel all day long, both for training, but also not for training. These looks are smart enough to feel good about your body, and elegant enough to fit in almost anywhere. Modern fitness design doesn’t just fake a token gesture towards fashion – it’s clearly dedicated, in every feature, to the cause. The look and feel is expensive, tailored, feminine and conservative whilst still being a bit adventurous and expressive. In a world where women want to be able to feel a bit elegant when their sweaty bodies don’t look it, today’s fitness fashion sends the message that it is possible. Given that the look and feel is so often aspirational and glamorous, I think it might actually help motivate clients to work that little bit harder too, so they fit that little bit better into their stylish sportswear, rather than just lazily shopping the next size shorts from Asda for £5. Training is now a proper, bonafide occasion.
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PT BUSINESS
HOW CAN A PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT BE AN ASSET TO PTS? BY ANDREW CRAWFORD
Andrew has over 25 years experience of the fitness industry and trained to be a PT before retiring. As an accountant, he helps fit pros make money and save money on tax. See how Andrew could help you at www.fitnessindustryaccountants. com
FOCUS ON FITNESS BY HIRING A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS TO HELP WITH MONEY MATTERS
A
n asset is defined as ‘…a useful or valuable thing or person…’
What is the best way to work with an accountant?
Enter the accountant.
Not all PTs are the same but they are still in high demand by clients. Just like there are different pairs of running shoes there are different types of accountant. The best way to work with one will depend on your taste and how you interact with them.
As a PT, once you can obtain some kind of benefit from using one or more of the services an accountant can offer you, the more you will recognise them as an asset and not a cost to your business.
What can an accountant bring to your business? The main function accountants can help with is your self-assessment tax return. In order to do this, you must have a robust bookkeeping system in play. Not just for your benefit but also to satisfy the collectors of taxes at the year-end, ie the taxman. Love them or hate them, their function is to ensure a proper log is kept of your business activities. Any errors will result in unnecessary fines, interest and surcharges a great source of income for the HMRC. Accountants are incredibly useful in this respect, as we understand what is expected of you as a tax payer, and our thorough knowledge can help with your record keeping activity.
SPECIAL OFFER
Here are a few things you should consider: • It’s best to have regular update meetings • Let them know your goals • Determine what specifically you require from them • Find someone whose style and personality you can work with • Ask a friend • Discussions should use language which is understandable to you • Understand that your accountant has other clients
Supporting your business When you are ready to take your business to the next level, you want to know that your accountant will be there to offer you their best guidance and support whilst you
Take a look at Andrew Crawford's popular e-book Protecting Your Fitness Brand for free by visiting www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com/free_gift In it you will learn how to protect your business name, written work, designs and intellectual property, as well as how to earn from it.
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consider other growing options like whether to trade as a simple self-employed entity or incorporating your business to hiring staff. On the other hand, think of a situation where you decide to go it alone because of the perceived cost to your business, include to this the time wasted researching the rules yourself. Leave the number work to the accountant and they will leave you with the figure work.
WHAT SERVICES DO ACCOUNTANTS OFFER? • Tax advice and tax planning • Explaining the concept of profit versus turnover/sales/ income • Aligning your business goals and objectives with your financial constraints/strategy • Strategic marketing and forward planning • Lease or buy decisions • Cash flow forecasts • Buying or selling a business • Advice on protecting your business brand
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Blue sky thinking
from Life Fitness
LIFE FITNESS HIGHLIGHT HOW TO COMBINE SMALL GROUP FITNESS WITH AN OUTDOOR WORKOUT STRUCTURE SYNRGY BlueSky is the first small group training system from Life Fitness which is designed specifically for outdoor use. It offers twelve body weight training stations to create a fun, supportive and inviting workout environment for exercisers of all abilities. SYNRGY BlueSky combines the benefits of outdoor exercise – which is proven to enhance mood and energy – with one of the industry’s top trends, small group training. Ranked as a top 10 fitness trend by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for the past two years, small group training continues to gain popularity among fitness professionals and exercisers as a workout that encourages camaraderie, accountability and intensity, while still allowing trainers to offer individualised attention for continuous learning and progression. With SYNRGY BlueSky, gyms can now bring training programs outdoors with a product that is engineered to meet outdoor safety standards, withstand harsh weather conditions and provide a wide range of customisable configurations to fit a variety of spaces and exercisers. Outdoor training is in huge demand, and the stations and connectors on SYNRGY BlueSky empower trainers to create fun, energetic classes that can incorporate circuits and interval training. Thanks to numerous customisable options including 12 stations and connectors, this small group training unit offers the versatility to keeps users engaged and allows for easy modifications to fit varying abilities.
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WINTER FITNESS Freelance writer, sports therapist, fitness instructor and nutritionist Georgina has many strings to her fitness bow. Check out her website at www.fitcetera.co.uk
WORKING OUT WITH A COLD SHOULD YOU SUCCUMB TO THE SNIFFLES OR FIGHT THE FEVER WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISING WHEN ILL BY GEORGINA SPENCELEY
W
e all know that exercise can help reduce the chances of getting a cold, but what if you are unfortunate enough to catch a dose of the winter nasties? Should you carry on training? Or is it an excuse to laze on the sofa catching up on Christmas movies?
BAD NEWS FOR BUGS Regular, moderate intensity exercise can actually reduce the severity and duration of the common cold, as well as cutting your chances of getting one in the first place. Several studies have shown decreases in symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, congestion, headache and body ache. The only exception was for fever, where exercise has shown a slight increase in symptoms. The length of time you are sick for can be dropped by as much as 46%. This means you can spend more time baking Christmas goodies and less time knocking back the medication. On that note, there are some situations when you shouldn't exercise with a cold. Some cold and flu medication, such as decongestants, are known to increase your heart rate, add that to a stint in a fitness class and you may find yourself short of breath. If you have asthma you should also exercise caution, as illness can exacerbate symptoms, making it simply dangerous
to put extra stress on your body through training.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR The old adage 'if it's below the neck' rings true; if you're symptoms include chest congestion, coughing and/or wheezing then you should steer clear of the gym and put your feet up, but if you have a head cold and no fever then feel free to train, just keep it at a lower intensity than usual. If you do exercise and experience chest tightness or pressure, excessive shortness of breath, or you start to feel light headed or dizzy, then stop and seek medical help.
TOP TIPS Training with a cold is always going to be a bit harder than your usual workout. Follow these top tips for keeping it a pleasure not a chore: 1) Slash intensity. If you usually go for HIIT, maybe try something a little less lungbusting. Try an easier class, or if you're a spin lover then turn the resistance down a bit; your body with thank you. 2) Reduce volume. Train at roughly 50% of your usual workload. For example a 30 minute run instead of an hour, or two sets of weights instead of four. 3) Try meditation. One small 2012 study found that the symptoms and duration of
a cold were reduced even more with daily 45 minute meditation than they were with the equivalent amount of exercise. Practice mindfulness and you could be back fighting fit in no time. 4) Ease back in slowly. Once you are feeling better you should return to your usual levels of exercise gradually and carefully. Increase intensity and volume over a period of a couple of weeks, easing back off again if you feel the need. 5) Listen to your body. Ultimately your body will tell you when you need to back off. A cold or flu may just be the result of doing too much, so when your body tells you to stop, stop.
REFERENCES: Obasi et al. (2012) Advantage of meditation over exercise in reducing cold and flu illness is related to improved function and quality of life. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. Accessed from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1111/irv.12053/full Nieman et al. (2011). Upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Access from: http://bjsm.bmj.com/ content/45/12/987
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WINTER WARMERS
TEMPERATURE THERAPY KATIE GARNER EXPLORES WHETHER YOU SHOULD BLOW HOT OR COLD WHEN IT COMES TO PAIN RELIEF
D
ealing with sports injuries can often put you on the back foot; however utilising cryotherapy (icing) and thermotherapy (heating) can be a useful, inexpensive and non-invasive form of pain relief that can complement medication or self care routines. Generally, temperature therapy can be divided in to two camps – ice is used for injuries, with damaged, inflammed and swollen tissue, whilst heat is used for muscles as well as chronic pain conditions and stress. Cold treatments tend to be used for new injuries, whilst heat is more prominent when treating recurring problems. For both techniques, the optimum time limit is 20 minutes for using hot or cold against the skin. Daniel Baumwald from THERA°PEARL explains 'It depends on the injury or ailment as to whether you choose hot or cold. For any immediate injury such as bruising or swelling you would want to use cold. For more acute injuries such as muscle spasm or muscle pain you would use hot.'
WARM UP Using heat will open up your blood vessels, which increases blood flow and therefore the supply of oxygen and nutrients to joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Daniel emphasises that this 'promotes healing and speeds recovery of damaged
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tissue'. Decreasing muscle spasms whilst increasing your range of motion, heat can work wonders for sore muscles, although you shouldn't use this method if you have diabetes, poor circulation, an open wound or stitches. However Daniel doe say to be wary about timings when using heat therapy. 'Heat should be introduced at least 24 hours after an injury, once swelling/bleeding has subsided. Since heat stimulates blood flow, it will actually worsen any swelling or bleeding if applied too soon,' Daniel adds. Heat can be useful prior to exercise as Daniel mentions 'It’s recommended to apply heat prior to physical activity, to stimulate blood flow and warm up muscles. Doing this will help prevent injuries during exercise.'
COOL DOWN Ideal if you have just pulled a muscle, using a cold compress for example will slow down blood flow to an injury, which helps to reduce pain and swelling. Used directly on the swollen or bruised area, icing is perfect for treating sprains, bumps and strains, calming down hot, damaged tissue from a fresh injury. 'You want to ice during the first 24 hours following an injury, when there is evidence of swelling and/or bleeding,' Daniel says. 'Even if you don’t have an “injury,” it’s recommended to apply ice after any physical activity to lessen the effects of wear and tear on the body.'
DANIEL BAUMWALD FROM THERA°PEARL EXPLAINS THE BENEFITS OF A HOT AND COLD PAIN RELIEF PRODUCT... What makes THERA°PEARL different from other pain-relief solutions on the market? 'Our Pearl Technology is unique as it allows each pack to conform to your body whilst frozen. It’s reusable, non toxic, and won’t leak like a bag of frozen peas. THERA°PEARL is the only gel-bead pack on the market in Europe.' Can you use these products on the go? 'Absolutely! That’s why we make products with straps so you can use them on the go. We appreciate that time is an issue in this day and age, even just 20 minutes, so THERA°PEARL products can easily be used whilst mobile.'
10 MINUTES WITH
RACHEL HOBBS
Advanced personal trainer and registered dietician Rachel Hobbs speaks to PT Magazine about the difficulties of juggling a home and work life
Why did you apply for The Life Fitness Personal Trainer To Watch competition? 'It was the gym manager at Surrey Sports Park where I train my clients that discussed The Life Fitness competition with me. I thought it would be a great way to meet other professionals in the industry from around the globe, to share training and fitness ideas, to encourage not only individuals to get involved with fitness but also show what a rewarding career it is. I was thrilled to represent the UK and travel to New York to compete against nine other finalists.'
What are the key points you tell your clients to focus on? 'I try to encourage my clients to realise the importance of continuous progress; to look at not just where their goals are but how far they have already come. Some have never set foot in a gym before and now execute squats and deadlifts with near perfect form. The reinforcement of progress always boosts their selfconfidence and keeps them motivated to continue giving 100% effort.'
What do you see trending for 2015? 'I think the movement from women desiring to be thin is definitely on its way out and females are now eager to be fit, strong and lean. This lends itself to more resistance based training, whether in the gym itself, functional body weight training such as using Life Fitness SYNRGY 360 or in studio classes.'
Why did you decide to become a personal trainer? 'I have always had a passion for sport, health and fitness but it was after I had my son and struggled with postpartum depression and disordered eating that training became my therapy. I ran a marathon for charity five months after his birth and realised the amazing benefits that exercise training has on the body and mind. It was then I decided to pursue a career that combined my love for fitness with supporting individuals to gain the monumental physical, psychological and emotional benefits that regular exercise has on health and wellbeing.'
What was the hardest thing you have had to overcome since becoming a PT? 'On a personal level the hardest thing I have to overcome was balancing a PT career that I have so much passion for with being a mummy, an undergraduate student and a powerlifter for Great Britain. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day! However since graduating 18 months ago and running my own personal training and nutritional consultancy business it has been much easier, I can dedicate more time to my clients, and my son gets to see me more as self-employment means I can fit my working hours around him.' FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RACHEL AT WWW.BODYBRAINSBEAUTY.COM
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IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
Personal trainer
DANNY APOLLO BRUCE speaks exclusively to PT Magazine about how to attract celebrity clientele Founder of JGFitness
JOSH GOODFELLOW
explains why raising the profile of disabled bodybuilding is high on his agenda
Also in our January issue: Jorden Cruttenden talks about the importance of keeping fit as a family Team PT put top of the range juicers and blenders through their paces Jo Beale demonstrates how to use the Powerhoop in your workout regime Suzan Altay showcases a full body yoga routine Jamie Lloyd informs on how to detox safely for the New Year
And don't forget your usual updates of insider industry news, advice from our expert panel as well as a whole host of delicious recipes for you to get your teeth stuck in to