Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Monday 28th February 2022

Monday 28th February 2022

Hi,

It's this time of year I get the "I'm going away in x weeks and need lose y amount of weight - what can I do?"

Losing weight is 70% nutrition.

Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity. However, the amount of weight you'll lose will depend on your starting weight, age, height, gender and activity level.

Using The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, let's do the sums for a 37 year old female who is 167 cm tall and weighs 72kg. Her BMR is 1,403 calories per day. This person - let's call her Barbara - is moderately active so we multiply Barbara's BMR by 1.55. So...

1,404 x 1.55 = 2,174.

A deficit of 20% of this maintenance level will usually mean everything is happening in a way that's best for you and your exact situation.

Dieting with a high calorie deficit puts a lot of stress on the body. And the longer you diet, the more this stress increases. When stress is elevated for a long period of time, the stress hormone cortisol increases and as a result, people start retaining water.

You would calculate your deficit as follows:

2,174 x 20% = 435 calories

Daily calorie target: 2,174 - 435 = 1,739

There are 3,500 calories in a Ib of fat. You should solely focus on losing fat. However, real world weight loss will be a mixture of:

Muscle
Body fat
Bone mass
Water

Using the scale in your bathroom only measures the total amount of weight lost. It measures the force of gravity on your body.

So let's pause for a moment and really consider: why does our scale weight matter so much to us?

Everybody has their own goal, and that's entirely their prerogative. However, based on my 13 years experience at the Fitness Centre, the most common, the most real, the ultimate goal is a certain "look" - a more "toned", fitter body, regardless of what it weighs, right?

The scale can't tell you if your clothes fit better and it definitely won't tell you that you're looking any better.

There are 600 calories in a Ib of muscle. Rapid weight loss usually means you're losing a higher percentage of muscle and water. Not desirable. Not desirable at all.

Based on pure fat loss, Barbara will lose a Ib of fat every 8 days or 0.87 of a Ib each week.

She will need 113 days to lose a stone (49,000 calories) at an average calorie deficit of 435 calories per day. Again, this is assuming her weight loss is entirely fat. Simple? On paper, of course it is.

But this 435 calorie deficit can easily be used up. For example, one unit of alcohol contains eight grams or 10ml of alcohol, which provides 56 calories. A 250ml glass of white wine is the same as one doughnut: 180 calories. One glass of wine a night would reduce Barbara's deficit to 255 calories and would take her 192 days (over 6 months!) to lose 14 Ibs of fat.

There's much more to losing fat than just eating less or exercising more.
There are 3 goals that need to be kept in mind when planning how big or small a caloric deficit should be to optimally lose weight:

1). Maximising fat loss (not weight loss!).
2). Minimising muscle loss.
3). Doing it all in a way that is as doable and sustainable for you as possible.

I've compiled a list of calories in everyday foods, which is further on in this newsletter. The food calories list also gives the calorie content in 100 grams so it can be compared with any other products not listed here. The list can be useful if you want to exchange a food with similar calorie content when following a weight loss low calorie program.

For more guidance, tips and information, please read the rest of our newsletter.

But first, here are our opening times, links to our website, some prices and more...


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: £32pm
3 months: £34pm
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: £46
1 month: £49

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: 8.30am - 8.45pm
Wednesday: 7.30am - 8.45pm
Thursday: 8.30am - 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


Food Calories List

The food calories list is broken down into sections based on the 5 basic food groups of a balanced diet. Please note: this food calories list shows products in alphabetical order.

Breads & Cereals: | portion size | per 100 grams (3.5 oz) | energy content

Bagel (1 average) 140 cals | (45g) | 310 cals | Medium
Biscuit digestives | 86 cals (per biscuit) | 480 cals High
Jaffa cake | 48 cals (per biscuit) | 370 cals | Med-High
Bread white (thick slice) | 96 cals (1 slice 40g) | 240 cals Medium
Bread wholemeal (thick) | 88 cals (1 slice 40g) | 220 cals Low-med
Chapatis 250 cals | 300 cals Medium
Cornflakes 130 cals (35g) | 370 cals | Med-High
Crackerbread 17 cals per slice 325 cals | Low Calorie
Cream crackers | 35 cals (per cracker) | 440 cals | Low / portion
Crumpets | 93 cals (per crumpet) | 198 cals | Low-Med
Flapjacks basic fruit mix | 320 cals | 500 cals | High
Macaroni (boiled) | 238 cals (250g) | 95 cals | Low calorie
Muesli | 195 cals (50g) | 390 cals | Med-high
Naan bread (normal) | 300 cals (small plate size) | 320 cals | Medium
Noodles (boiled) | 175 cals (250g) | 70 cals | Low calorie
Pasta (normal boiled) | 330 cals (300g) | 110 cals | Low calorie
Pasta (wholemeal boiled) | 315 cals (300g) | 105 cals | Low calorie
Porridge oats (with water) | 193 cals (350g) | 55 cals | Low calorie
Potatoes (boiled) | 210 cals (300g) | 70 cals | Low calorie
Potatoes (roast) | 420 cals (300g) | 140 cals | Medium
Rice (white boiled) 420 cals (300g) 140 cals Low calorie
Rice (egg-fried) | 500 cals | 200 cals | High in portion
Rice (Brown) | 405 cals (300g) | 135 cals | Low calorie
Rice cakes | 28 Cals = 1 slice | 373 Cals | Medium
Ryvita Multi grain | 37 Cals per slice | 331 Cals | Medium
Ryvita + seed & Oats | 180 Cals 4 slices | 362 Cals | Medium
Spaghetti (boiled) | 303 cals (300g) | 101 cals | Low calorie

Potatoes are vegetables but listed here because they form a staple part of many meals. Most natural foods are calculated in tests and specific product values are calculated from their ingredients list or from information on the packaging. Some values may not be accurate and should only be used for general comparison purposes.

Meats & Fish: Portion size | per 100 grams (3.5 oz) | energy content

Anchovies tinned | 300 cals | 300 cals | Medium
Bacon average fried | 250 cals (2 rashers) | 500 cals | High
Bacon average grilled | 150 cals | 380 cals | Med-High
Beef (roast) | 300 cals | 280 cals | Medium
Beef burgers frozen | 320 cals | 280 cals | Med-High
Chicken | 220 cals | 200 cals | Medium
Cockles | 50 cals | 50 cals | Low
Cod fresh | 150 cals | 100 cals | Low calorie
Cod chip shop food | 400 cals | 200 cals | Med-High
Crab fresh | 200 cals | 110 cals | low calorie
Duck roast | 400 cals | 430 cals | High
Fish cake | 90 cals per cake | 200 cals | Medium
Fish fingers | 50 cals per piece | 220 cals | Medium
Gammon | 320 cals | 280 cals | Med-High
Haddock fresh | 200 cals | 110 cals | Low calorie
Halibut fresh | 220 cals | 125 cals | Low calorie
Ham | 6 cals | 240 cals | Medium
Herring fresh grilled | 300 cals | 200 cals | Medium
Kidney | 200 cals | 160 cals | Medium
Kipper | 200 cals | 120 cals | Low calorie
Liver | 200 cals | 150 cals | Medium
Liver pate | 150 cals | 300 cals | Medium
Lamb (roast) | 300 cals | 300 cals | Med-High
Lobster boiled | 200 cals | 100 cals | Low calorie
Luncheon meat | 300 cals | 400 cals | High
Mackeral | 320 cals | 300 cals | Medium
Mussels | 90 cals | 90 cals | Low-Med
Pheasant roast | 200 cals | 200 cals | Medium
Pilchards (tinned) | 140 cals | 140 cals | Medium
Prawns | 180 cals | 100 cals | Low- Med
Pork | 320 cals | 290 cals | Med-High
Pork pie | 320 cals | 450 cals | High
Rabbit | 200 cals | 180 cals | Medium
Salmon fresh | 220 cals | 180 cals | Medium
Sardines tinned in oil | 220 cals | 220 cals | Medium
Sardines in tomato sauce | 180 cals | 180 cals | Medium
Sausage pork fried | 250 cals | 320 cals | High
Sausage pork grilled | 220 cals | 280 cals | Med-High
Sausage roll | 290 cals | 480 cals | High
Scampi fried in oil | 400 cals | 340 cals | High
Steak & kidney pie | 400 cals | 350 cals | High
Taramasalata | 130 cals | 490 cals | High
Trout fresh | 200 cals | 120 cals | Low calorie
Tuna tinned water | 100 cals | 100 cals | Low calorie
Tuna tinned oil | 180 cals | 180 cals | Medium
Turkey | 200 cals | 160 cals | Medium
Veal | 300 cals | 240 cals | Medium

Fruits & Vegetables: Portion size | per 100 grams (3.5 oz) | energy content

Apple | 44 calories | 44 calories | Low calorie
Banana | 107 cals | 65 calories | Low calorie
Beans baked beans | 170 cals | 80 calories | Low calorie
Beans dried (boiled) | 180 cals | 130 calories | Low calorie
Blackberries | 25 cals | 25 calories | Low calorie
Blackcurrant | 30 cals | 30 calories | Low calorie
Broccoli | 27 cals | 32 cals | Very low
Cabbage (boiled) | 15 calories | 20 calories | Low calorie
Carrot (boiled) | 16 calories | 25 calories | Low calorie
Cauliflower (boiled) | 20 calories | 30 calories | Low calorie
Celery (boiled) | 5 calories | 10 calories | Low calorie
Cherry | 35 calories | 50 calories | Low calorie
Courgette | 8 cals | 20 cals | Very low cal
Cucumber | 3 calories | 10 calories | Low calorie
Dates | 100 calories | 235 calories | Med-High
Grapes | 55 calories | 62 calories | Low calorie
Grapefruit | 32 calories | 32 calories | Low calorie
Kiwi | 40 calories | 50 calories | Low calorie
Leek (boiled) | 10 calories | 20 calories | Low calorie
Lentils (boiled) | 150 calories | 100 calories | Medium
Lettuce | 4 calories | 15 calories | Very Low
Melon | 14 calories | 28 calories | Medium
Mushrooms raw one average | 3 cals | 15 cals | Very low cal
Mushrooms (boiled) | 12 calories | 12 calories | Low calorie
Mushrooms (fried) | 100 calories | 145 calories | High
Olives | 50 calories | 80 calories | Low calorie
Onion (boiled) | 14 calories | 18 calories | Low calorie
One red Onion | 49 cals | 33 cals | Low calorie
Onions spring | 3 cals | 25 cals | Very low cal
Onion (fried) | 86 calories | 155 calories | High
Orange | 40 calories | 30 calories | Low calorie
Peas | 210 calories | 148 calories | Medium
Peas dried & boiled | 200 calories | 120 calories | Low calorie
Peach | 35 calories | 30 calories | Low calorie
Pear | 45 calories | 38 calories | Low calorie
Pepper yellow | 6 cals | 16 cals | Very low
Pineapple | 40 calories | 40 calories | Low calorie
Plum | 30 calories | 39 calories | Low calorie
Spinach | 8 calories | 8 calories | Low calorie
Strawberries (1 average) | 10 calories | 30 calories | Low calorie
Sweetcorn | 95 calories | 130 calories | Medium
Sweetcorn (on the cob) | 70 calories | 70 calories | Low calorie
Tomato | 30 calories | 20 calories | Low calorie
Tomato cherry | 6 cals ( 3 toms) | 17 Cals | Very low cal
Tomato puree | 70 calories | 70 calories | Low-Medium
Watercress | 5 calories | 20 calories | Low calorie

Milk & Dairy produce: Portion size | per 100 grams (3.5 oz) | energy content

Cheese (average) | 110 cals (25g) | 440 cals | High
Cheddar types (average reduced fat) | 130 | 260 calories | Medium
Cheese spreads (average) | 90 cals | 270 | Medium
Cottage cheese (low fat) | 40 calories | 80 cals | low - med
Cottage cheese | 49 cals | 98 cals | Low calorie
Cream cheese | 200 cals | 428 cals | High
Cream fresh half | 128 cals | 160 cals | Med-High
Cream fresh single | 160 cals | 200 cals | Med-High
Cream fresh double | 340 cals | 430 cals | High
Cream fresh clotted | 480 cals | 600 cals | High
Custard | 210 cals | 100 cals | Medium
Eggs (1 average size) | 90 cals | 150 cals | Medium
Eggs fried | 120 cals | 180 cals | Med-High
Fromage frais | 125 cals | 125 cals | Low calorie
Ice cream | 200 cals | 180 cals | Medium
Milk whole | 175 cals (250ml/half pint) | 70 cals | Med-High
Milk semi-skimmed | 125 cals (250ml/half pint) | 50 cals | Medium
Milk skimmed | 95 cals (250ml/half pint) | 38 cals | Low calorie
Milk Soya | 90 cals | 36 cals | Low calorie
Mousse flavoured | 120 cals | 140 cals | Medium
Omelette with cheese | 300 cals | 266 cals | Medium
Trifle with cream | 290 cals | 190 cals | Medium
Yogurt natural | 90 cals | 60 cals | Low calorie
Yogurt reduced fat | 70 cals | 45 cals | Low calorie

Fats & Sugars: Portion size | per 100 grams (3.5 oz) | energy content

Pure Fat | 9 cals (1 gram) | 900 cals | High
Bombay mix | 250 cals | 500 cals | High
Butter | 112 cals | 750 cals | High
Chewing gum | 8 cals per piece | - | Low calorie
Chocolate | 200 cals | 500 cals | High
Cod liver oil | 135 cals (1 tbspoon) | 900 cals | High
Corn snack | 125 cals | 500 cals | High
Crisps (average) | 100 cals | 500 cals | High
Honey | 42 cals | 280 cals | Medium
Jam | 38 cals | 250 cals | Medium
Lard | 225 cals | 890 cals | High
Low fat spread | 50 cals | 400 cals | High
Margarine | 50 cals | 750 cals | High
Mars bar | 240 cals | 480 cals | Med-High
Mint sweets | 10 cals per piece | - | High
Oils (corn, sunflower, olive) | 135 cals (1 Tbspoon) | 900 cals | High
Popcorn average | 150 cals | 460 cals | High
Sugar white table sugar | 20 cals (1 tspoon) | 400 cals | Medium
Sweets (boiled) | 100 cals | 300 cals | Med-High
Syrup | 15 cals | 300 cals | Medium
Toffee | 100 cals | 400 cals | High

Fruit: Calories per piece | Carbs (grams) | Water Content

Apple (1 average) | 44 calories | 10.5 | 85 %
Apple cooking | 35 calories | 9 | 88 %
Apricot | 30 calories | 6.7 | 85 %
Avocado | 150 calories | 2 | 60 %
Banana | 107 calories | 26 | 75 %
Blackberries each | 1 calorie | 0.2 | 85 %
Blackcurrant each | 1.1 calorie | 0.25 | 77 %
Blueberries (new) 100g | 49 Cals ( 100g ) | 15 g | 81 %
Cherry each | 2.4 calories | 0.6 | 83 %
Clementine | 24 cals | 5 | 66 %
Currants | 5 calories | 1.4 | 16 %
Damson | 28 calories | 7.2 | 70 %
One average date (5g) | 5 cals | 1.2 | 14 %
Dates with inverted sugar 100g | 250 calories | 63 | 12 %
Figs | 10 calories | 2.4 | 24 %
Gooseberries | 2.6 calories | 0.65 | 80 %
Grapes (100g Seedless) 50 cals | 15 | 82 %
One average Grape 6g | 3 calories | 0.9 | 82 %
Grapefruit whole | 100 calories | 23 | 65 %
Guava | 24 calories | 4.4 | 85 %
Kiwi | 34 calories | 8 | 75 %
Lemon | 20 calories | 3.4 | 85 %
Lychees | 3 calories | 0.7 | 80 %
Mango | 40 calories | 9.5 | 80 %
Melon Honeydew (130g) 36 calories | 9 | 90 %
Melon Canteloupe (130g) | 25 cals | 6 93 %
Nectarines | 42 calories | 9 | 80 %
Olives | 6.8 calories | trace | 63 %
Orange average | 35 calories | 8.5 | 73 %
Orange large 350g | 100 Cals | 22g | 75 %
Papaya Diced (small handful) | 67 Cals (20g) | 17g
Passion Fruit | 30 calories | 3 | 50 %
Paw Paw | 28 calories | 6 | 70 %
Peach | 35 calories | 7 | 80 %
Pear | 45 calories | 12 | 77 %
Pineapple | 50 calories | 12 | 85 %
Plum | 25 calories | 6 | 79 %
Prunes | 9 calories | 2.2 | 37 %
Raisins | 5 calories | 1.4 | 13 %
Raspberries each | 1.1 calories | 0.2 | 87 %
Rhubarb | 8 calories | 0.8 | 95 %
Satsuma one average 112g | 29 cals | 6.5 | 88 %
Satsumas 100g | 35 calories | 8.5 | 88 %
Strawberries (1 average) | 2.7 calories | 0.6 | 90 %
Sultanas | 5 calories | 1.4 | 16 %
Tangerine | 26 calories | 6 | 60 %
Tomatoes (1 average size) | 9 cals | 2.2 | 93 %
Tomatoes Cherry (1 average size) | 2 calories | 0.5 | 90 %

Fruit calories will vary depending on the size of fruit consumed. Some values for fruit calories may not be exact and should only be used for general comparison purposes.

Portion sizes will vary depending on the type and make of product purchased. Portion size is very often a subjective view - and may again vary according to bowl, cup or plate size used.

Let's say that Susan, the person at the beginning of this newsletter, divided her daily calorie target (1,739 calories) into 4 equal meals of 435 meals each. An example of one (horrendously bland) meal could be as follows:

Chicken (200 cals per 100g): 100g / 200 calories
Brown Rice (135 cals per 100g): 150g / 203 calories
Broccoli (32 cals per 100g): 100g / 32 calories
Total: 350g / 435 calories

You will have to start tracking what you eat. To do this, we have 2 basic tips.

1). Buy a food weighing scale

This is going to be your very first step towards keeping your diet. With a food scale, you'll be able to accurately measure how much you eat from what and precisely track your nutrients. And trust me, guessing the amounts is a very dangerous game - so you do need that scale.

2). Download a calorie and macro counting app

The second step is keeping track of what you measure. And the best way to do it is with an app on your iPhone (other smartphones are available!) that's smart enough to handle all the calculations for you. The best apps will let you personalise your macro ratios and give you little warning signs if you're heading towards exceeding them.

You have to be aware that your macro ratio is not set in stone. You might get it right for the first time and see great results. But you also might need to go back and forth and adjusting it several times.

Consistency is the most important aspect of success and forward progress.

Constant Forward Progress is our philosophy and mindset, but you know what? Sometimes the best way to keep moving forward is to keep from moving backwards.

Personal problems, work stress, illness, travel and poor sleep or lack of sleep due to these various times in our lives WILL creep up. Be prepared - and just keep plugging away a little bit at a time. Don't just give up because you've had a minor setback. I've seen it too many times before - and you (yes, you reading this newsletter right now!) are better than that!

When it comes to fat loss, most people embark on a program of cardio and dieting. Strength training is just an afterthought. Strength training, however, can burn just as much, if not more, fat than cardio.

So why do some people focus on cardio as their primary fat burner?

Cardio does shrink you down. But it does just that: it shrinks down both your fat and muscle. You end up all skinny and soft. Do you want to end up all skinny and soft? Well no, of course you don't. Barbara doesn't! Barbara wants to retain or even build muscle while burning off fat. Why? A larger engine burns more fuel. Larger muscles burn more calories and more fat.

This may seem overly simplified, and maybe it is. But honestly, if you apply these ideas and principles in your life, no matter how crazy it may be, I know, you that you'll see regular results.

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


What is the Stimulus-Recovery-Adaptation Model?

Also known as the SRA curve, this model tells us why the body builds muscle mass.

Let's say you want big biceps. In order to do so, you do bicep curls with a barbell. You know that you can lift 30kg for 5 clean repetitions. But only choose to use 20kg for 3 repetitions, because you are lazy.

Do that once a week for 4 weeks and your biceps probably wouldn't grow.

Why not?

Because you haven't disrupted your system enough to drive adaptations. If you can lift way more with good technique, then you need to train at a higher intensity in order for your biceps to grow. That's where the principle of progressive overload becomes so important.

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





Exercise of the week: Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Hold two dumbbells by your thighs with you palms facing outwards.

Use your biceps to lift the dumbbells until they are at shoulder height, then lower back down and repeat.

That's 1 rep; do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

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


Things to consider

Keep Track of Calories and Food Intake Per Day:

Keeping track of how many calories you eat in a day will be helpful in planning out your physical exercising. Ever wonder why body builders' body masses are so big? That's because they plan out their meals and take in more (healthy) calories than the average person. On the other hand, losing weight and striving for a skinnier physique will involve more physical exercise than calories you ingest.

Squats and Deadlifts:

Don't train squats and deadlifts on back to back days. Both squats and deadlifts utilise many of the same muscle groups. These lifts are considered posterior chain movements, meaning they both target the lower back, spinae erectors, glutes, hamstrings, etc. It's best to have a few rest days in between these lifts.

Be Sure to Get Sleep:

Even though most of us have eight-hour jobs during the day or night, it is crucial to get enough sleep to recharge the body's batteries. Six to eight hours of sleep will keep the body going throughout the day, but if you happen to feel tired at any point after coming home from work, by all means take a small nap before exercising. You should only nap for about a half hour. This will prevent you from staying up later in the night.


Recipe of the week: Slow Cooker Beef and Barley

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds boneless beef chuck (in one piece)
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 stalks celery, quartered
6 medium carrots, quartered
2 medium leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 sprig thyme
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Horseradish, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Combine the beef, barley, mushrooms, celery, carrots, leeks, thyme, beef broth and soy sauce in a slow cooker.

Add 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.

Uncover and skim off any excess fat. Transfer the beef to a cutting board, let cool slightly and slice or shred by hand into bite-size pieces.

Thin the vegetable-barley mixture in the slow cooker with some water, if desired. Divide among shallow bowls and top with the beef. Serve with horseradish, if desired.

Enjoy!


Useless Facts

The eyes of a donkey are positioned so that it can see all four feet at all times.

All fossils found in Canada belong to the Jan Handley. Because she put them there.

Worcestershire sauce in essentially an Anchovy Ketchup.

Lauren Stewart is addicted to brake fluid. But she can stop any time she likes.

Rhode Island is the only state which the hammer throw is a legal high school sport.

Chris Buckley tells Simon what to do.

The average lifespan of an eyelash is five months.







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