Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Monday 14th March 2022

Monday 14th March 2022

Hi,

I regularly get asked about the Keto diet.

Is this still the hottest trend right now?

This diet was originally created in the 1920/30's to treat people with Epilepsy and in today's time, when guided by medical professionals / dieticians it is extremely successful for some cancer patients and for those who are morbidly obese. The problem is not the Keto diet, the problem is people changing it!

It is such a trend right now, and such a money maker that people are taking the key concepts, the key principle of this diet that was created by a medical professional and changing it.

People with no medical or professional education when it comes to nutrition are guiding and influencing others on how to "keto". This is where I have an issue with trendy diets because all this craze is what causes unhealthy eating habits and behaviours. People are not learning how to eat; people are learning how to diet.

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: £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: £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



How do you know how many calories you need?

Most calorie calculators work by estimating your total daily energy expenditure - or TDEE - and measuring it against your weight goal. TDEE, which is expressed as an average number of calories, includes the amount of energy required to perform basic bodily functions at rest (breathing, blinking) combined with the energy expended by your activities (workouts, walking to the water cooler). To gain weight, eat more calories than your TDEE. To lose weight, eat fewer calories.

An aggressive calorie deficit can help you lose weight faster, but it can also make you hungry, sap your energy. If you feel this way following the calorie calculator's recommended target, increase your calories by 200 and re-evaluate how you feel after a week. Your results may take longer to show up, but it will feel like less of a struggle and you'll be more likely to maintain your progress.

Conversely, if you feel like the target gives you more than enough to eat and you're not seeing results, try adjusting the target down slightly and eating less.

Does it matter where your calories come from?

Human metabolism is complex, and gaining or losing weight takes more than hitting your calorie goal. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates all have different nutrient functions in the body, and an effective diet will include at least a little of all three macronutrients.

Protein builds muscle and maintains other body tissue. Fat provides energy, regulates hormone production, and keeps you full. Carbohydrates also provide energy and help you sleep at night.

Theoretically, eating fewer calories than you expend can help you lose weight, but the type of calories you eat influences your results. For example, if you eat very low-carb and have trouble sleeping, your hunger levels could rise and you might struggle to keep your calorie intake low enough to lose weight. Or if you don't eat enough calories from fat or carbs to power your workouts, you could end up burning fewer calories than you think, because you're not giving it your all in the gym.

Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are all metabolised differently and are converted into body weight with different rates of efficiency. Protein and carbohydrates each provide 4 calories per gram, while fat provides 9 calories per gram.

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


How Deep Should You Squat (part 2)?

Will squatting deep put excessive strain on your knees?

You still might be concerned about the extra strain put on your knees from dropping below parallel, especially since I said it puts an extra 28% strain on your ACL. This is a fair concern, but there is a slight increase in tension on the ligament, the lower you go, the more muscles you activate which helps to stabilise that ligament.

On the other hand, research has also shown that a leg extension machine, which focuses on the quads exclusively, actually puts more strain on both your ACL and PCL ligaments than the squat. So while a deeper squat protects the ligaments by using additional muscles, no additional musculature is activated on a leg extension machine.

In other words, a deep squat slightly increases the strain on your knee but at the end of the day it's still safer than a simple leg extension machine if proper squat form is used.

Squat deep or squat heavy?

While this is true with most exercises, having impeccable squat form is imperative. The squat is a coordinated, high impact movement. You may have to drop the weights for some time to improve your squat depth and form, but it will be worth the time and effort. You won't have to worry about hurting your knees or back, as most people who get injured from squats have poor form and depth.

What if you can't squat below parallel without pain or compensations?

For most people who are unable to squat below parallel, a lack of flexibility or the inability to activate the proper "assistance" muscles is usually the issue.

When your back rounds during a squat, it's usually from a lack of core strength, or flexibility issues that can emanate from your calves to your thoracic spine. Other issues may include knee, or back injuries, which may require switching to a different squat technique such as a front squat or goblet squat.

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


Exercise of the week: Dumbbell Split Squat

Start in a split stance with one foot in front of the other but feet still shoulder-width apart.

Make sure you feel stable with your front foot planted and the back one resting on the ball of your foot.

Holding the weights at your sides, hinge your hips slightly back while driving your back knee toward the floor, counting to 3 on the way down.

Hold at the bottom for 1 count, then drive your weight through your front heel to stand.
Tip

Remember to engage your core. People lose their balance during split squats mainly because they aren't focused on keeping their core tight.

To maintain stability, you must strengthen all the muscles surrounding the spine (as well as the lower body).

Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.


Recipe of the week: Slow cooker chicken casserole

Ingredients:

Knob of butter
½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp flour
650g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets
3 garlic cloves, crushed
400g baby new potatoes, halved
2 sticks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
250g mushrooms, quartered
15g dried porcini mushroom, soaked in 50ml boiling water
500ml stock made with 2 very low salt chicken stock cubes
2 tsp Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
2 bay leaves

Method:

Heat a knob of butter and ½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large frying pan, cook 1 finely chopped large onion for 8-10 mins until softened and starting to caramelise.

Meanwhile, put 1 ½ tbsp flour and a little salt and pepper in a bowl and toss 650g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets in it.

Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 mins more until the chicken is starting to brown.

Transfer to your slow cooker, along with 400g halved baby new potatoes, 2 diced celery sticks, 2 diced carrots, 250g quartered mushrooms, 15g dried and soaked porcini mushrooms with the 50ml soaking liquid, 500ml chicken stock, 2 tsp Dijon mustard and 2 bay leaves.

Give it a good stir.

Cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 4 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and serve with a little Dijon mustard on the side.

Enjoy!


Things to consider

Forearms: Don't obsess about direct forearm work. As with traps, the forearms are worked hard by numerous other lifts.

The mere act of gripping barbells and dumbbells day in and day out is often enough to stimulate quality forearm growth. Do not assume you need an excessive amount of direct forearm stimulation.

Eat the rainbow:

Eat foods that are closest to their natural state as possible. Aim for whole, fresh foods in a rainbow of colours.

Make sure you drink water:

This is coming from someone who drinks wayyyyy too much coffee!
Most adults need about two quarts of fluid per daily to replace normal water loss, or approximately eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Try this hydration calculator to check your personalised H2O needs.

Trap Bar Deadlifts

A trap bar deadlift utilises a special type of bar that is shaped like a hexagon. The advantage of the trap bar deadlift is that it allows you to put your knees and hips more forward.

This puts your back in a more upright position, which puts less demand on your back and also more demand on your quads as your knee joint range of motion increases.


Useless Facts

Tehran is the most expensive city on earth.

Joe Williams is the reason the sky is blue. Don't ask stupid questions.

The sweat drops drawn in cartoon comic strips are called pleuts.

Matt Kirkham coined the phrase "I see dead people" when the staff at Nandos forgot his birthday. He'd got his hopes up for a free plate of medium spicy wings.

Babies are most likely to be born on Tuesdays.






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