Inverclyde Gourock New Member Mag (Removed Upcoming Events)

New Member Survival Guide

Welcome to Gourock Gym

Now let’s help you get the best from your time with us... This is designed to help you during your first 6 weeks of membership to ensure that you get off to the best possible start.

You can book all your sessions on here and access advice and support or simply book your coaching sessions.

Watch out for our regular newsletters and email bulletins that will highlight areas we think will help you and add to your enjoyment with us.

Kind Regards, Ainsley Thompson Fitness Co-ordinator

Well that’s the hard bit done! You’ve joined!

What Happens at your First Programme Session?

As a new member you are entitled to a Health Appraisal and a Gym Induction in the first 6 weeks of your membership.

Let’s roll forward to this first fitness programming session because we want you to know exactly how we handle that session because it’s a very important landmark moment for new members and we pride ourselves on managing it differently to almost any other club in the area.

It’s perfectly normal for many new members to feel a bit nervous about this session and it may be that we have asked you to come at a quieter time in the week so that we have a good environment in which to teach you what we need to make your programme work for you.

We will be giving you a lot of information during the session and it’s important to say at this point that we understand that you probably will not remember everything you get told. Don’t worry; we’ve got lots of ways that we can help you to learn in your own time and in your most preferred way.

When you come to the club for that first session you will be met at reception by your trainer.

Initially you will have an quick briefing session where the trainer will explain to you the plan for the session and what’s going to happen. Your health appraisal is a simple test incorporating three vital measurements: Body fat, blood pressure and aerobic ability followed by a Gym Induction to learn how to safely and effectively use the gym equipment.

They will present you with your very own Personal Progress Pack which is an optional pack you can fill in at home and where you will be able to track the changes in your body composition, size, weight, flexibility, and strength.

In addition, they will also show you how to complete your personalised programme card so that you can see the progress you are making and the trainers can also see when we need to make small adjustments to the intensity of your programme.

They will talk about the importance of heart rate, and how you can gauge precisely the intensity of your workouts using some highly effective scientific principles.

They will show you the exercises that we have selected for you, why they are right for you and set the correct personalised intensity for the programme they will be devising for you.

This whole session will take probably about 45 minutes to an hour and after that the trainer will explain a little bit about what you can expect from your membership going forward and the support, we will be giving you to help you boost your confidence and most importantly to get you to see some impressive speedy changes.

The latest research has highlighted the benefits of training with resistance equipment to burn fat, as part of a weight control programme.

Please don’t worry about getting bulky, as this won’t happen with the regime we are going to use with you. It will help tone and firm you.

Basically, this type of training speeds the metabolic rate, so calories are burned quicker – the secret of weight management. We will prescribe you a programme comprising several repetitions on a piece of equipment and at a specific speed – both of which we will show you when we go into the gym.

The crucial factor is that we will find a weight on each piece of equipment, that you can only repeat a certain of times, before you tire completely that muscle. We will work that out for you and again, we would like you to keep records of what happens at each workout.

So, don’t worry. Your programme has been personally tailored for you and based on the latest exercise science. You are in good hands with us!

Please click the link below to visit our website and we’ll help get you sorted and settled in. Alternatively, you can contact the Fitness Desk. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Forgotten How Things Work?

Need a Refresher Session?

Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything we have told you at your induction session. We understand that we often overload you with detail.

That’s why we can arrange a refresher session with you in your first 6 weeks to cover off any gaps in your knowledge about how the programme works or how to work the equipment.

It’s just so key to us that you feel thoroughly confident in what you need to do and how to work the equipment to help you.

Click the link below to visit our website and we’ll get you booked in for your refresher session.

We understand that going to the gym can be a daunting experience – something that puts many people off reaching their fitness goals. Express Fitness provides a relaxed environment, in which members can seek support and advice, meet likeminded people and get fit free from judgement. We’re open to everyone and we offer swimming, classes and technologybased equipment.

Research shows that training with friends or family improves motivation to attend the gym.

So if you sometimes struggle working out on your own, this is a great way to defeat that feeling! Please note, this offer is only valid during the first 6 weeks of your membership. Please click the link below to find out how you can get involved.

Using the table, find out

level

exercise intensity you should be working at based on your current fitness experience.

To calculate your target training rate, find your age at the base axis and then scroll up to the % appropriate. This charts the zone we would like to exercise in.

(Recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine)

Next, you’ll need to recognise where you are on the ‘Programme Stage’.

Your required range will be based on your age and where you are based on your fitness levels, to determine the intensity of the workout.

If you now look at the graph below, you need to trace your finger along the horizontal axis, until you find the nearest point to your current age.

So for example, if I am 40 years old and am new to exercise, I would be using the 55% point to track.

So my target low number ofexercising is 99 BPM and my high number would be 126 BPM at 70% intensity rate.

So now I know, if I’m new to cardio training, I should be training at a Heart Range performance range between 99 and 126.

Once my fitness improves, I can then move onto the Improvement and Maintenance Stages, using the Maximum Heart Rate range to determine my new training zone. Hopefully this has given you a better understanding of how to maintain an effective cardio training programme and the type of things to aim for in your workouts.

the

of

Guide to a Healthy & Effective Resistance Training Programme

Resistance training (or strength training) isn’t just about building up your muscles and strength, it can also improve the way your body functions and the fitness of your heart and lungs.

There are several different factors we must consider when undertaking a structured resistance training programme:

• The number of sets

• The number of repetitions (within the sets)

• The type of exercise we are doing

• The intensity of the workout (amount of weight used)

• The frequency of the sessions

• The rest periods between each set

From the left side of the card, you can input:

• The adjustments (position of exercise i.e. inclie position)

• The order of the exercises you will be partaking

• The exercise name

• The number of sets for this exercise

• Targeted rep range for the exercise

With that said, we’re ready to fill out our Programme Card…

It’s also important to note down the Rep Speed we are performing for these exercises. We recommend using a 6 second rep speed to get the best results.

So this would include 2 seconds for the lifting phase and 4 seconds for the lowering phase.

For example, if I am doing a chest press on a bench, I would be lowering the bar for 4 seconds and then lifting the bar for 2 seconds (4 + 2 = 6 seconds).

The science is that we need to get the muscle to fatigue within 60-90 seconds, and we achieve this with the 6 second rep speed and finding a level that will tire you within 8 – 12 repetitions. If you can’t manage 8 reps, then the weight is too heavy and similarly, if you can do more than 12 repetitions, then the weight is too light. You will get it spot on within a couple of workouts.

Towards the right and along the top of the card (see below), we can write down the dates we trained and results we produced in terms of sets, reps and weight used.

Stretching the body part, you trained during your workout will help in improving muscle recovery and avoiding delayed onset muscle soreness.

Stretching is very important to do at the end of your workout and we would ask you to perform each stretch at a slow and controlled speed, between 10-30 seconds to get the most effectiveness.

We recommend performing at 8-12 repetitions on each piece of equipment you train on.

Finally, we have a section at the bottom right of the card (see below) to note down your stretching numbers.

‘Before & After’ Photos

Many of our clients come in with the initial fear of having a “before” photo taken but once we reassure them of the benefits, they understand it’s a big motivating factor for their continued progress.

Taking regular “After” is also essential. We recommend you take your after every week or two but no later than 3 weeks.

5 Tips for the Perfect “Before” Photo:

Taking regular “After” is also essential. We recommend you take your after every week or two but no later than 3 weeks.

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Men should take pics wearing shorts or a swimsuit without a shirt, while women should wear a bikini or fitted gym shorts and a sports bra. It’s important to see your stomach, so don’t suck that tummy in! You may see your most pronounced changes in that area.

If you don’t want us to take the shots, get a friend to help you take the photos or use a tripod or the auto-timer on your camera. A friend will be most helpful to get your body centred in the frame, especially for photos taken from the back.

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Stand in front of a blank, plain-coloured wall, with as little distraction or clutter behind you 3 as possible. You’re the star of the show here!

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Take multiple photos. Take at least one from the front, back and side. If you want to, you can even flex or pose for one or two additional ones.

Remember to take your photos regularly in those same positions (and even same clothing). On day one, day 15, day 30, day 60, and so on. That way it’s easier to see exactly how your body has changed.

Have you tried using

Technogym’s mywellness® app in our gyms?

The mywellness® app by Technogym is free to download from the App Store or Google Play.

This cutting-edge platform helps you to stay motivated and get the most out of your training by tracking your activity both in and outside of our gyms.

You can also link with other popular apps such as Strava, Fitbit and Polar meaning you can monitor everything all in one place.

What are the benefits of the app?

• Record and track your workouts to review progress and reach your goals more quickly.

• Scan the QR code on most Technogym cardio equipment and it will track your workout automatically.

• View video tutorials on how to perform exercises correctly with proper form, suitable reps, weights, and notes from your wellness coach.

• Keep track of all your body measurements using the TANITA scales (which measures body fat, hydration levels and lean muscle mass, etc.) and check your progress.

2

No matter how strict they are with their diet and how often they train they just can’t seem to lose weight

Does the next line sound familiar?

“ During the first two weeks of my diet I feel really motivated, like this time I’m actually going to follow through with it...

...But after a couple of weeks my motivation starts to dwindle and when I don’t see visible results I slip straight back into old ways. ”

If this applies to you, Tanita body composition analysis could be the KEY to you finally being able to stay motivated to achieving the health and body that you have always wanted.

What you need to know:

• Your body is mainly composed of Muscle, Fat, Water and Bone.

• When you exercise more or diet you gain lean muscle and lose body fat

• Your body weight may not change - you may even gain weight.

• This is because lean muscle is 5X denser than fat...

This is why you need to think Body Composition NOT body weight.

Would you be disappointed if you only managed to lose 2lb like this lady?

I imagine the answer would have been Yes... But not if you knew the truth.

THE SCALES MAY NOT LIE... BUT THEY DEFINITELY MISLEAD.

Research has found that the vast majority of people who want to transform their bodies fail for one of the two reasons... 1

They have no idea whether their diet and fitness plan is working

Very low calorie diets may force your body into ‘starvation’ mode. Which means you end up storing body fat rather then burning it. So even if you lose weight, your fat ratio will increase

Body weight alone is a poor reflection on overall health. In trying to lose weight many people often end up less healthy and less happy as a result Quick-fix, crash diets may produce fast results but the weight loss will be in the form of body water and muscle NOT fat

Monitor exactly how well your diet and fitness regime is working

Track your progress to achieving you personal goals

Stay motivated to achieving your heath and fitness goals

Identify the exact type of training regime your body needs to deliver the results you want to see

Fine tune your exercise program and diet by tracking muscle mass and metabolic rate

6. Personalise your training with ‘goal setter’ mode

Reduce your risk of diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers by checking body fat and visceral fat levels are within healthy ranges

See improvements across numerous aspects of health 9. Feel amazing for seeing the positive change in your results 10. Fully compatible with devices such a Fitbit and applications such as Apple Healthkit

How does Tanita work?

• Uses Tanita Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis technology

• THE Most Advanced body composition analysis technology on the market today

• A low, safe electrical signal is sent from metal electrodes through your hands and feet to provide readings for the legs, arms, trunk and abdominal area

• “The Tanita technology is THE Gold Standard in the field”

How accurate is it?

• The Tanita Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis technology, used is the most clinically accurate compared to all other products

• Every body composition monitor uses patented equations that have been extensively researched and developed by body composition experts to deliver the most accurate and reliable body composition measurements

• Tanita body composition monitors have been more extensively validated against alternative body composition techniques than ANY other brand of monitor

What people say about Tanita?

“I used to get so disheartened when I would weigh myself to find that I had hardly lost any weight even after being really strict with my diet and spending hours in the gym. Now with Tanita, when I see my body fat reduce and muscle mass increase I feel great about myself. I no longer allow myself to feel dejected by a lack of weight loss and all the hours spent in the gym finally seem like they were worth it.”

“Before I started using Tanita I always struggled to stick to any diet and fitness regime. Tanita was an absolute game-changer. I love being able to track my progress and I get a huge deal of satisfaction when I achieve personal goals using the ‘goal setter’ function on my Tanita profile. There truly is no better feeling than seeing hard work and dedication pay off.”

Track your Results with your Personal Progress Pack

If you prefer to monitor your progress in the comfort of your own home, we can offer you our Personal Progress Pack where you can chart the weekly changes to your body, your fitness level and various other tests that we measure.

Your trainer will give you your pack at your first visit and we would like you to complete it within a day or so of starting so we have an opening benchmark.

When you open the pack, you will see a battery of different tests for you to do.

We would like you to complete them weekly and if possible, at more or less the same time each week. It helps us evaluate your progress and trigger any changes we need to make to your programme.

When you open your pack on the left, at the top of the page we have a 3-minute step test that you can do at home.

Heart Rate Test

Heart rate is key to our programmes and we put a lot of store by it. If you can get a monitor to chart it accurately that’s great but if not than learn to take your own at the carotid artery on the neck. As you get fitter you should expect that your heart rate will drop week by week when you do this step test.

After you have measured your cardio improvements, we would like you next to test your strength.

To do this we ask you to do press-ups to test your upper body fitness. You can do either half or full press ups but remember always use the same type in one minute. Please don’t mix them or your improvements won’t be so noticeable.

After the press ups do as many sit ups as you can in 1 minute. Again, as long as you use the same techniques each test, you will see clearly the progress you are making in the number of reps you can do.

Strength Test

Next, we have some flexibility tests and we will show you how to do the exercises and how we measure the results:

Flexibility is important to how your body functions and how you feel. We encourage you to make stretching a vital and regular part of your workout particularly if you suffer with any sort of arthritis or muscular issues.

Flexibility Tests

The Body measurement chart is possibly the most important area on the chart, and we would like you to really focus on this.

Body Measurement Chart

Weighing yourself on scales is very important to many of our members and we understand this but changes in your shape are the most accurate guide to the effectiveness of your programme.

Muscle is denser than bodyfat and because of this, you may initially weigh heavier while getting slimmer and more toned. If you weigh yourself and don’t measure yourself, this can be a surprise and de motivating.

Please measure yourself FIRST and you will be delighted with the results we get for you with in the first 6 weeks of your membership

Body Weight Chart

If you are measuring in kilos, then put in the big box’s multiples of 5kg, i.e If you’re in stones and pounds, then….

Once you have done the weight chart you can see your BMI chart. Next is the area of the card where we determine the Cardio intensity of your workouts.

Cardio is great for building heart strength, burning calories and making your lungs more efficient.

Ideally you will have access to a pulse monitor. And we would strongly advise you to buy one sell you one or we can simply show you how to take your own pulse rate using the neck or the wrist.

If you haven’t got a monitor don’t worry. Here’s how we establish your training zone.

To get the most from your workout we need to ensure that your heart rate beats at a certain level throughout your workout. This level is based on your age and exercise history. This we call your training zone and it’s based on the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, the world’s most eminent exercise organisation.

Firstly, we need you to recognise where you are on the “programme stage”. Most of you will be starting out so you will be in the Initial stage area week 1 so your required range will be 55-70 %of your heart rate maximum for the first 4 weeks of your plan and then 60 – 80 % for the 5th & 6th week.

For those fitter athletes, we suggest that you start at the Improvement stage with a 60 – 80 % range or for well-conditioned individuals use the 75-90% range.

Heart Rate Chart

Now we have your recommended training range we need to get your personalised heart rate numbers.

If you now look at the graph below you need to trace your finger along the horizontal axis until you find the nearest point to your current age.

My low number for a 40-year-old will therefore be 99. Make a mental note of that number.

Now we need to get the higher-level number so continue to track your finger vertically until it reaches the 70 % line and note that number.

My training zone is therefore 99- 126 beat s per minute for the first 4 weeks and then for the next 2 weeks I will be training between 108 – and 144 beats per minute at the high end.

In another area of this site we will show you how this information is used on your session by session programme cards to make every workout super effective for you.

For example, if I am 40-year-old.

From here trace your finger vertically until it meets the lowest number of your required range.

I’m using the 55% point as I’m new to exercise.

Your Diet & Nutrition Programme

It’s Time To Find Out What You Are Made Of...

Exercise + Diet = Dramatic Results

The scientific proof is overwhelming!

The best results come when you combine your exercise routine with a calorie controlled and nutritious diet plan. Even better news is that the results are achieved much quicker when you combine both things. Download your personalised nutritional and calorific report to analyse your current diet and uncover your weight loss potential...

Step 1.

Download our 5 day food diary and activity breakdown.

Step 2.

Send it to us when you’ve completed it or hand it in to a member of the fitness team when you visit.

Step 3.

We will review your diary and give you a comprehensive set of tips and improvements.

What you will get back...

• The nutritional profile of your current eating habits

• Your calories in vs calories out

• Your weight loss potential

• Recommendations to help you get to your target

For information on how to get your diet analysed, please speak to one of our fitness team and they will help put a Nutrition Plan together.

GET MY FOOD

DIARY

Download the IL App

We want you to know, your health and wellbeing is our absolute priority. All activities will be required to be pre booked to allow IL to track and trace usage and monitor capacity.

With the Inverclyde Leisure app, you always have your facility in your pocket. Get up-to-date information, news, class timetables, swim timetables, offers, events and receive push notifications for important news. Download the IL App from the Google or Apply

Strength Training For Women

Get Fit, Lose Weight And Gain Strength...

and never forget you’re a woman.

Have your appeal, confidence and wellbeing taken an early shower because you’re unsure how to benefit from strength training?

Think Again

The Benefits of Weight Training

for women and people of 40+ hugely outweigh those of cardiovascular exercise alone.

HERE ARE 10 GOOD REASONS WHY

Over the last 10 years, there’ve been serious arguments for the benefits of weight training – especially for women and people over 40.

Most women who exercise do cardiovascular exercises in the gym. Far fewer use resistance training that really challenges their bodies. So what’s the story?

Here are the gains and losses of resistance training with Fitness Plus – and all for your long-term benefit!

Kind Regards,

Fitness Plus Team

You’ll Lose Body Fat

Studies have found that the average woman who strength-trains two or three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat.

As lean muscle increases, so does your resting metabolism. All day long you burn more calories. For each pound of muscle you gain, you’re likely to burn daily 35 to 50 more calories. And the losses can really add up.

02 You’ll Gain Strength without Bulk

Compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times fewer hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy.

This means you won’t get bigger from strength training. But do it right and you WILL develop beautifully healthy muscle tone and definition. In our book, that’s a bonus.

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You’ll Decrease Risk of Osteoporosis

Weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13% in six months. In tandem with plenty of calcium in your diet – dairy, greens, tofu, broccoli, beans, etc –weights can be your best defence against osteoporosis.

You’ll Improve your Athletic Performance

Whatever your sport, from cycling to skiing, running to golf, strength training will improve your athletic ability, ramping up overall performance and decreasing injury risks.

05 You’ll be Physically Stronger

Increasing strength will make you far less dependent on others for help with daily living. Chores will be easier, and you’ll no longer be pushed to the max lifting kids, groceries and laundry.

Boosted maximum strength also means daily tasks and routine exercise are less likely to cause you injury. Even moderate weight training can increase a woman’s strength by 30 to 50%. And you should be able to develop your strength at the same rate as most men.

06 You’ll Reduce your Risk of Injury, Back Pain & Arthritis

Strength training not only builds more powerful muscle. It also develops stronger connective tissues and reinforces joints, helping prevent injury.

A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening lower back muscles eliminated or alleviated lower-back pain by 80%. Other studies have shown that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis.

You’ll Reduce your Risk of Heart Disease

Weight training can improve your cardiovascular health in several ways, lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and blood pressure while increasing ‘good’ cholesterol. Add cardiovascular exercise into the mix, and these benefits are maximised.

08 You’ll Reduce your Risk of Diabetes

Weight training can improve how the body processes sugar, which may reduce diabetic risks. With diabetes a growing problem for women and men, research shows that weight training can increase the body’s glucose utilisation 23% in just four months.

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Women who strength-train often say their programme makes them feel more confident and capable – critical factors in fighting depression.

And The Conclusion?

If you want to be as healthy and as strong as you can possibly be later in life, adding resistance training to your exercise routine is a positive step.

Benefits include:

• Reducing the rate at which you lose muscle as you age

• Giving you more energy

• Making it easier to manage your weight by increasing lean body mass to raise metabolism

• Reducing symptoms of health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia

• Lowering your levels of inflammation and pain

• Improving your glucose control

• Research also shows that resistance exercise helps improve your balance

Together, all of these benefits can help you stay healthier as you get older. They can also keep you more independent.

Finally, expert advice will help you to achieve these goals tailoring a bespoke exercise programme to you. Our Personal trainers serve as coaches, mentors, and workout partners. If you feel that you could benefit from having someone in any of these roles, then hiring a personal trainer may be the best move for you.

A Great Way to Keep Active!

So here’s the thing. If you’ve read this far we know you’re serious. Now I’d like to extend a PERSONAL INVITATION to you from Fitness Plus.

Contact us now and book a PT with weights with one of our.... specialist Fitness Plus Personal Trainers.