Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Tuesday 14th July 2020

Tuesday 14th July 2020

Hi,

So it's now official: gyms will be back open on Saturday 25th July 2020, 124 days after lockdown was announced.

Looking back over this time, it has been a bizarre, anxious, frustrating, depressing and confusing time for so many people.

When we first contacted our members after lockdown was announced, I wrote that a gym was so much more than just a room full of stuff; it's a source of guidance and support - and the closure of the physical aspect of the gym didn't stop us from still delivering an effective service to our members.

During lockdown we provided daily content, online classes and PT through Zoom or similar, home workout plans, nutrition plans, support and guidance to our members and clients.

Throughout lockdown, I've uploaded 450+ posts on social media, sent 1,000+ emails, written numerous diet plans and communicated with members on a daily basis.

Simply sitting there, collecting direct debits and offering nothing in return was never an option for any good gym, personal trainer, studio or CrossFit box and it has been great to see so many good businesses rise to the challenge that lockdown presented.

We haven't made any radical changes to the gym because 1) if it ain't broke, don't fix it and 2) we didn't know what the post-lockdown requirements would be.

Many businesses within a rateable value category received a grant from the Government. We resisted the temptation to blow it all on new equipment in one go - but over the next few months we will be replacing and adding to our already extensive range of equipment.

So how will the gym be different when we re-open?

Well, considering how the gym ran before lockdown, the changes won't be massive. Let ,me explain: the maximum gym capacity will be based on 3m2 per person.

For Woodlands, this equates to a gym capacity of 31 people (including staff / personal trainers). Which is more than our usual Pre-COVID attendance levels.

Please remember that this is not indefinite. Maybe a couple of weeks, a month. But not forever.

General rules:

Public Health England (PHE) or equivalent posters will be on display informing customers and staff of
social distancing and cleanliness/hygiene protocols throughout the facility.

We will commit to the wellbeing of their staff and customers, and if they show/have any signs of COVID-19 (temperature, cough and difficulty breathing), they will be sent home to follow Government regulations.

We will comply with any health designation documentation that the Government implements.

Hand wipes/sanitisers will be on offer (or people will be directed to where they can clean their hands).

We will ensure that social distancing is adhered to, further criteria is below for certain areas.
Face masks will not be mandatory for staff.

It is down to the individual customer to take reasonable personal responsibility when taking part in physical activity.

Cleaning:

Staff will carry out regular cleaning of high-contact touch points throughout the premises.

The Reception Area:

Hand wipes/sanitisers will be on offer (or directed to where people can clean their hands).

Gloves are not mandatory as the World Health Organisation (WHO) advice is that it is preferable not to wear gloves but to regularly wash your hands.

Social distancing will remain in place for reception staff.

Changing Rooms/Showers/Toilets:

Extra care/signposting will be provided to maintain social distancing when in these areas.

Spray and cloths will be available for customer use for touch points.

Gym Floor:

Only equipment that is 2m apart will be used. We have moved equipment and we have marked some other pieces of equipment in the gym out of order (to facilitate social
distancing).

Don't worry, the best machines are still available.

Touch points of equipment should be cleaned after use - this can be done either by the customer or staff using spray and cloths provided.

This is in addition to the cleaning schedule.

Extra signage regarding social distancing will be in place around the free-weights areas. However, there will only be one person allowed at a time in the downstairs dumbbell area (but two if you're with someone from your household).

As I've already written, maximum gym capacity will be based on 3m2 per person. For Woodlands, this equates to a gym capacity of 31 people (including staff / personal trainers). Which is more than our usual Pre-COVID attendance levels.

Spray and cloths is a generic term and could be any cleaning apparatus eg - hand wipes, paper towels and spray. We've got all sorts.

The Studio area:

Social distancing guidelines must be followed (2m apart).

There will be a minimum of a 10-minute window in between Group PT sessions, so no 'waiting around' in groups. Please await an updated Group PT timetable to reflect this.

Equipment (including mats etc) will be cleaned in between use. This can either be done by the customer
or staff member using spray and cloths provided.

Outdoor Group PT:

We will be running Group sessions both inside and outside. Not everyone is prepared to exercise inside just yet and we understand that this will take time.

Social distancing and cleanliness will be promoted regularly.

Social distancing and cleanliness will be promoted by the instructor(s) at the beginning and throughout classes.

Group PT sessions will be organised in a series of formations to comply with social distancing, with appropriate spacing between participants monitored by the instructor throughout the class.

Nothing will be passed to/from the instructor to the customer - including personal items, water bottles, etc.

Customers should not cluster in groups before/after sessions.

Also..

Towels/'sweat towels' will not be taken onto the gym floor /into the studio area. We will provide disposable towels and bins.

Personal training sessions can continue as long as social distancing is in place.

Card/contactless payment will be promoted.

Please talk to me if you have any concerns or reservations.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.

Between now and the 25th July we will still be offering online coaching, diet plans and workout plans free to all our members. Again, please message us with your requirements.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has continued with their membership payments to the club. Your amazing support is greatly appreciated.

The income we have received has allowed us to make improvements while we have been closed. You'll see these when we reopen. For example, the yellow paint has now gone.

We gave our members the following 4 options in regards to their direct debit:

1). Continue to pay your Direct Debit in the normal way, so that your club can retain key staff and continue to invest during this short time. If you are happy with this option, no further action is required by you.

2). Defer your DD for an initial 1 month period, if you choose this option we will respond with a separate email to confirm your next payment date. If the club continues to be closed after this 1 Month term we will contact you again before that payment is due to defer the payment for a further period of time.

3). Continue to pay your DD on the due date, but pay 50% of the monthly amount to support your club.

4). Continue to pay your DD on the due date and the money you pay can be exchanged for 1-2-1 personal training sessions. For example, if you pay £25 per month and we're closed for 2 months, you would get 2 x 45 minute PT sessions. Drop me a message and we can arrange this.

Everybody who sustains their direct debit or standing order (even at 50% of the monthly amount) during this temporary closure will be exempt from all future price increases and will retain any special offers (including our 2-4-1 offer) indefinitely.

Not everybody pays through the same direct debit company. Some people pay by standing order. Please contact me if you're not sure.

We know that training at home is not as good as training in the club but don't forget that any member whose payments are live can still have online personal training, either 1-to-1 or in groups.

As we said, we really appreciate all the members that have been able to continue their payments. They have allowed us to invest in the club and ensure we can reopen for you and our staff in the strongest possible position.

If we all abide by the rules the Government will be able to relax these restrictions - and will be hopefully be back to normal.

Stay in touch with us on socials and we will keep you updated.

For any further information please email: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk.

Yours in fitness,

Giles


Make sure to eat enough fat

By consuming sufficient amounts of fat, you obtain the calories needed to promote muscle gain, as fat provides twice the number of calories as carbs and protein per gram.

The general recommendation for fat intake for off-season bodybuilders is 0.5 grams per pound (1 gram per kg) of body weight daily.

This equates to around 80 grams of fat per day for a male bodybuilder weighing 175 pounds (80 kg).

When embarking on a vegan bodybuilding diet, it may help to track your intake of macronutrients — protein, carbs, and fat — for the first few weeks to ensure you're meeting your needs.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Realistic weight loss

I sometimes get asked how to lose 10 Ibs in 1 week. I'm not always sure what it is about 10 Ibs.

Or why it has to be lost so quickly?

What were you doing last week that stopped you losing weight over 2 weeks?

Healthy weight loss is usually 1-2 pounds per week. This is sustainable - so 10 Ibs could be lost in 6-7 weeks. And you'll probably keep the weight off if you lose it slowly.

But if you do manage to lose 10 Ibs in 1 week, what happens in week 2?

Do you just go back to normal and hope the weight stays off?

No!

That weight is coming back.

Probably with vengeance!

But let's say you're dead set on the idea and I can't talk you out of it, losing 10 pounds in 1 week is risky and should not be done often (and ideally with the approval of your doctor).

To lose 10 pounds of pure fat in one week, you'll need a 35,000 calorie deficit, which is 5,000 calories more than you consume each day - equivalent to nearly 8 solid hours of burpees.

You'd need to restrict your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with resistance training, interval training and other vigorous activities.

Chances are you'll lose fat, muscle and water - the exact ratios are hard to estimate - but if you lose 1/3 fat, 1/3 muscle and 1/3 water, you'd need a 1,952 calorie deficit per day. This is - for a short period of time only - more achievable.

But you'll have lost approx 3-4 Ibs of fat, 3-4 Ibs of water and 3-4 Ibs of muscle.

If you're considering a rapid weight loss plan, try to reverse engineer how the plan will deliver the results you're promised.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Exercise of the week: the Bear Plank

The 4 steps to the bear plank:

1). Start on all fours with your shoulders lined up with your wrists and your knees at a 90-degree angle.

2). Keeping your back flat, lift your knees, allowing them to hover a few inches off the floor.

3). Flex your core and hold the position for up to a minute, making sure to breathe.

4). Slowly bring your knees back down to the floor. Rest for 10 seconds, then repeat.

Do:

30 seconds work.
30 seconds rest.
4 sets.

To progress the workout, increase the work duration in 5 second increments up to 45 seconds.

Increase the rest period proportionately if required.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Vegetarian lasagne

Ingredients:

2 yellow or red peppers, seeds removed, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
1 courgette, about 300g/10½oz, quartered lengthways and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano
1 vegetable stock cube
200ml/7fl oz cold water
100g/3½oz young spinach leaves (optional)
9 -10 dried lasagne sheets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce:

75g/2½oz plain flour
75g/2½oz butter, cubed
750ml/1¼ pint milk, semi-skimmed or full-fat
125g/4½oz mature cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
75g/2½oz ready-grated mozzarella cheese, or extra cheddar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the peppers, courgette and sweet potato into a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss together.

Roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few seconds more. Stir in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning (or dried oregano) and crumbled stock cube. Pour over the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Set aside.

For the cheese sauce, put the flour, butter and milk in a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Whisk constantly with a large metal whisk until the sauce is thickened and smooth.

Stir in roughly two-thirds of the cheeses and season to taste.

Take the vegetables out of the oven and add to the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir in the spinach and cook together for 3 minutes. Season with salt and lots of ground black pepper.

Spoon a third of the vegetable mixture over the base of a 2½ -3 litre/4½-5¼ pint ovenproof lasagne dish and cover with a single layer of lasagne. Top with another third of the vegetable mixture (don't worry if it doesn't cover evenly) and a second layer of lasagne.

Pour over just under half of the cheese sauce and very gently top with the remaining vegetable mixture. Finish with a final layer of lasagne and the rest of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pasta has softened and the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Stand for 5 minutes before cutting to allow the filling to settle.

Enjoy!


Useless Facts

It's possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.

It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog throws up its stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of its mouth. Then the frog uses its forearms to dig out all of the stomach's contents and then swallows the stomach back down.

The very first song played on MTV was 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by the Buggles.

William Marston engineered one of the earliest forms of the polygraph in the early 1900's. Later he went on to create the comic strip Wonder Woman, a story about a displaced Amazon princess who forces anyone caught in her magic lasso to tell the truth
Americans travel 1,144,721,000 miles by air every day.






The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 27, Molyneux Business Park, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, DE4 2HJ
T: (01629) 733 123
E: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk