Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Monday 8th November 2021

Monday 8th November 2021

Hi,

People who have successfully kept the weight off overwhelmingly have incorporated exercise (especially resistance training) into their lives - and in my experience, the people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off invariably find these people were consistent with their diet and exercise plans.

I am not going to list all the benefits of regular exercise here (recent newsletters and social media posts cover this topic!) - but regular exercise has positive effects on your metabolism, allows you to eat more calories yet still be in a calorie deficit.

This will help you to preserve lean body mass - which is essential to your health and metabolism. The many health benefits of regular exercise are well known, so I won't bother adding them here.

The bottom line here is simple: if you have any intentions of getting the most from your goal of losing weight and plan to keep it off long term, then regular exercise must be an integral part of the weight loss strategy.

So, you can eliminate any program, be it book, e-book, clinic, etc. that does not offer you direction and help with this essential part of long term weight loss.

Okay, so the first article this week is titled The 25 Rep Method. Choose an exercise with a heavy load (a load you could lift for 4-6 reps before failure). Perform one set as fast as possible (ideally a 1/0/2/0 tempo) and terminate the set once the speed slows down. Rest up to 60s. Repeat Step #2 until you've reached 25 reps.

The second article is about Cottage Cheese. This is part of our seemingly never ending articles on the 20 Most Weight-Loss-Friendly Foods on the Planet.

The exercise of the week is a squat to two arm row.

The recipe of the week is a Romanian chicken and gherkin stew.

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


Gym Only memberships:

Joint/Student (per month):

12 months: £20
3 months: £23
1 month: £26

Single (per month):

For single prices, please check our special offers:
www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/special-offers

Student prices are only for students in full time education.


Unlimited Personal Training:

How would you like to have personal training every single time you attend Woodlands?

Well now you can!

Our Unlimited PT membership offers an appointment controlled personal training system where a personal trainer will train up to 6 members at any one time.

We offer a variety of group exercise sessions throughout the day to help you achieve you build fitness, strength, co-ordination and flexibility whilst burning fat.

Group sessions are strictly limited to 6 people:

* There are 36 group training sessions per week, including: Condition, Total, Upper, Lower, Core, Circuit and HIIT.

* We also offer '30m' groups: these 30 minute Classes Group training sessions are condensed versions of our normal 45 minute groups, designed to pack in high intensity exercise to push you to the next level and really make the most of your time here!

We have a 5.15pm Group on Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

We have added a second Group class to Sunday morning to accommodate the increasing demand

These shared personal training sessions are strictly limited to 6 people! This is to ensure you get a higher quality of coaching and support.

We always prefer an informal approach - so we will be maintaining the booking forms in the gym.

All bookings can be made in the gym, by phone, e-mail or via social media.

How you book in isn't important; we just care that you attend regularly.

Here is a list of our group training sessions:
www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/group-exercise


Unlimited PT membership prices:

Joint/Student:

12 months: £30pm
3 months: £33pm
1 month: £36pm

Single:

For single prices, please check our special offers:
www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/special-offers


2 x 45membership:

This membership includes:

✔2 x 45 minute PT sessions per month (worth £23 each)
✔Unlimited SHARED PT sessions
✔Unlimited gym use
✔Calorie target setting advice
✔Nutritional support
✔Discounted additional personal training sessions

12 month: £43pm
3 month: £47
1 month: £51

The benefits of personal training outweigh your fears by a long shot and we can really help you achieve your goals. At Woodlands, we want to maximise your fitness experience.


Personal Training Packages:

The benefits of personal training outweigh your fears by a long shot and we can really help you achieve your goals. At Woodlands, we want to maximise your fitness experience.

30 mins:

3 weeks x 2 per week
6 x 30 mins: £72 (£89)

5 weeks x 2 per week
10 x 30 mins: £116 (£144)

45 mins:

3 weeks x 2 per week
6 x 45 mins: £95 (£120)

4 weeks x 2 per week
8 x 45 mins: £125 (£160)

60 mins:

4 weeks x 2 per week
8 x 60 mins: £156 (£178)

The price in brackets is for non-members.

All of our PT packages include:

Group PT membership.
Gym membership.
Calorie target setting advice.
Nutritional support.

All PT sessions must be used within time periods listed above.

We use time limits with our personal training packages to encourage frequent and consistent training. Packages can be designed to your individual needs.

At least 24 hours notice of cancellation is required for all appointments - just so we have sufficient time to rebook the slot. Notice of less than 24 hours will incur a full payment of the session fee. These are standard terms for all good PT's.

We can adjust the time limits in advance to take into account holidays, business trips, etc.

All of our PT packages include full gym, group personal training & classes membership.

Opening Hours:

Monday: 7.30am - 8.45pm
Tuesday: 9.00am - 8.45pm
Wednesday: 7.30am - 8.45pm
Thursday: 9.00am - 8.45pm
Friday: 7.30am - 8.00pm
Saturday: 8.00am - 2.00pm
Sunday 8.00am - 2.00pm

We always want to know what you think of the Woodlands Fitness Centre - the gym, prices, personal training, group personal training, and anything else.

Please speak to us at the gym, email any feedback and suggestions to the email address at the end of this newsletter.

Thanks,

GW



The 25 Rep Method

When it comes to training, I like to make things as easy as possible. When my clients start a workout I usually have a set number of reps that I want them to perform with a given load and within a given time limit.

The time limit means you won't be able to wander off during your rest periods - so no getting distracted by a text message or an extended trip to the toilet. You're ruled by the clock - which pushes the intensity for the cardiovascular system.

I use many different approaches to help them reach the select number of reps, but in the end, it doesn't really matter how they get to the goal, as long as they do.

Three of the most effective set/rep ranges I've ever used for building size and strength are four sets of six (4x6), 5x5 and 8x3. Those parameters have two things in common.

1). The total number of reps is basically the same.
2). The load is basically the same.

It's evident to me that the aforementioned combination of sets and reps really hits a sweet spot with many people. There's no need to argue whether 6x4 is better than 8x3 because both methods are providing the same effect. Whilst lighter weights can still achieve great results, this 25 Reps Method requires a heavy load.

Here's how you do it:

1). Choose an exercise with a heavy load (a load you could lift for 4-6 reps before failure).
2). Perform one set as fast as possible and terminate the set once the speed slows down.
3). Rest up to 60s
4). Repeat Step #2 until you've reached 25 reps.

It really is that simple!

The 25 Method can be used in a number of ways. You can use it for strength or hypertrophy. Here are two different programs that utilize this principle for each training goal.

When total body hypertrophy is the goal, I'll add in a few exercises to train the muscle groups that most bodybuilders want to develop. Like the strength plan, each workout trains a push, pull and hip or quad dominant movement. In addition, I also throw in a few supplemental exercises.

Give these workouts a try for three weeks and I'm sure you'll get bigger and stronger. Feel free to experiment with the 25 Method because it works really well!

If you need any further information or advice on how to implement these into your training, please come and talk to me.

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


Cottage Cheese

Dairy products tend to be high in protein. One of the best ones is cottage cheese, which — calorie for calorie — is mostly protein with very few carbs and little fat.

Eating cottage cheese is a great way to boost your protein intake. It's also very satiating, making you feel full with a relatively low number of calories.

Dairy products are also high in calcium, which may aid fat burning. Eating lean dairy products, such as cottage cheese, is one of the best ways to get more protein without significantly increasing your calorie intake.

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


Exercise of the week: squat to two arm row

Begin facing a cable machine with both feet shoulder-width apart and pointing straight ahead and knees over second and third toes.

Hold cables with arms extended at chest level.

Draw abs in and activate gluts.

Perform a three-quarter squat keeping lower extremity in proper alignment.

Before any compensation occurs activate glutes and stand to a fully upright position.

While standing begin to row by pulling the cable squeezing shoulder blades and pulling thumbs to armpits.

The row should be complete by the time the legs are fully extended.

Repeat by extending the arms and squatting

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


Recipe of the week: Romanian chicken and gherkin stew

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil
4 skinless, boneless free-range chicken thighs
3 red onions, finely sliced
100ml dry white wine
250ml chicken stock
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp caster sugar
700g gherkins (drained weight), sliced into rounds
20g fresh dill, chopped
Crusty bread to serve

Method:

Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat, then add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes on each side.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the onions to the same pan, stirring to coat in the oil and scraping up any sticky bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the white wine, bubble for 1 minute, then add the stock and the browned chicken thighs.

Cover with the lid and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and gherkins, stir gently, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water - the stew should be juicy around the edges but not watery. It's ready once the chicken has cooked through and the gherkins are soft in the middle but retain a slight crunch.

Just before serving, stir in most of the dill, season to taste, then spoon into warmed bowls and sprinkle the remaining dill over the top.

Serve with bread to soak up all the delicious juices.

Enjoy!


GW's top suggestions

Switch Your Chewing Gum:

Though many believe chewing gum keeps you from mindlessly eating, the minty treat has its own drawbacks that can lead to a bigger belly. Not only does chewing gum cause you to swallow tummy-bloating air, many gums also contain sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and xylitol that can cause bloat.

Keep Evolving:

Start slow and evolve your training. Begin with a simple approach, and add pieces as needed.

Forget Fruit Juice:

While you might not think there's a huge difference between eating a whole piece of fruit and drinking fruit juice, nutritionally speaking, the two entities are most definitely not one and the same. Whereas whole fruit contains naturally occurring sugars and fiber that can help counteract the bad effects of too much sweet stuff, fruit juice is often loaded with added sugar (such as high-fructose corn syrup) and no fibre to speak of. Eating more whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, a greater consumption of fruit juices was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. To get the fruit flavour without all the bad stuff, try stirring up a batch of fruity detox water instead.


Useless Facts

When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.

The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life."

A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.







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