Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Sunday 21st August 2022

Sunday 21st August 2022

Hi,

Hundreds of fad diets, weight-loss programs and outright scams promise quick and easy weight loss.

However, the foundation of successful weight loss remains a healthy, calorie-controlled diet combined with increased physical activity.

For successful, long-term weight loss, you must make permanent changes in your lifestyle and health habits.

How do you make those permanent changes?

Consider following these six strategies for weight-loss success:

1. Make sure you're ready
2. Find your inner motivation
3. Set realistic goals
4. Enjoy healthier foods
5. Get active, stay active
6. Change your perspective

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: £22
3 months: £24
1 month: £27

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.


Small Group Personal Training:

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

Well now you can!

Our Small Group 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 6-8 people:

There are 36 group training sessions per week, including:

Condition
Total
Upper
Lower
Core
Circuit
HIIT
Kettlebells

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!

These shared personal training sessions are strictly limited to 6 (sometimes 8) 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


Small Group PT membership prices:

Joint/Student:

12 months: £32pm
3 months: £34pm
1 month: £37pm

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)
✔Small Group PT membership
✔Gym membership
✔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:

Small 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


Benefits of Exercising while Pregnant (part 2)

Strength training during pregnancy.

What are strength exercises?

Strength exercises are activities that strengthen your muscles. They include the use of weights, swimming, walking uphill, yoga and even digging the garden. They will improve your muscle tone and build stamina, which will help you during labour.

Other activities that strengthen your muscles include using the stairs, working with resistance bands and using free weights or weight machines.

The benefits of strength training in pregnancy:

Using weights and doing other kinds of strength exercise during your pregnancy will help you:

• avoid aches and pains as your bump grows
• strengthen your body for labour
• prepare for all the lifting, carrying and pram-pushing you'll be doing after your baby is born.

How should I use weights safely during my pregnancy?

If you can, include body weight exercises in which your weight provides the resistance. To find out suitable body weight exercises for you at your stage of pregnancy, you should consult a trainer who specialises in pregnancy.

Weight exercises to avoid in pregnancy:

There are some weight exercises that are not recommended when you're pregnant, so it's very important to talk to an expert at your gym or fitness centre before you get started.

For example, you should avoid:

• cross-fit type training, which encourages the use of lifting heavy weights in a timed circuit.
• general circuit classes using bar bells and fast movements
• exercises that use heavy bar bells behind your neck after 12 weeks (use dumbbells instead)
• using a single, large barbell to do deadlifts, clean and press, and upright rows, especially in the third trimester - because there is a risk of the bar hitting your growing baby bump.
• weighted sit-up exercises after 12 weeks
• abdominal rotation machines.

Whether you're used to weight exercises or not, always remember to tell the instructor you're pregnant.

There is no specific guidance about the weights you should use while you're pregnant - one person's light weight can feel heavy to another person. To avoid straining your joints, use weights that feel light to moderate to you rather than heavy. A good rule of thumb is that you should do more repetitions with lighter weights.

Ask your instructor or the gym staff if you're not sure which weights or machines you should use.

Top tips for safe weight training in pregnancy:

1. Don't over-exert yourself or strain too much.

2. Avoid lifting weights while lying on your back after the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. Exercises to strengthen the chest and arms, such as the chest press and chest fly, can be performed on an incline bench from 12 weeks and with a further incline from 20 weeks.

3. Be careful lifting weights over your head in the last three months. Don't use heavy weights, don't hold your breath (known as the valsalva manoeuvre) and consult gym staff about technique. Swapping to front shoulder raises and lateral raises to shoulder height is preferable.

4. It's common sense but be careful with free weights. You don't want them hitting your stomach by accident.

Which areas should I concentrate on in pregnancy?

The areas to concentrate on strengthening in pregnancy include:

• your hamstrings
• your quadriceps (front thigh)
• your gluteal muscles (buttocks)
• your ankles
• your upper back (rhomboids, trapezius and posterior deltoids)
• the deep abdominal muscles of the transverse abdominis
• your pelvic floor.

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


HIIT: is the fitness scene's biggest fad doing more harm than good? (Part 1)

There is a whole range of health risks associated with excessive exercise.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been the darling of the fitness scene for a few years now.

Fundamentally, it involves repetitions of short bursts of intense, 'maximal effort' exercise, like sprinting; usually for anywhere between 20 to 40 seconds.

The theory behind HIIT is very appealing. By working out at your top level of exertion, you burn more calories in a short space of time than other workouts.

What's more, studies show that your metabolism stays in a heightened state for up to 24 hours after you've finished. Time-pressed office workers can get a workout in their lunch break, and then continue to burn off fat once they're back at their desk.

And in practice, HIIT can have impressive results. It's an effective tool for increasing cardiovascular fitness, sculpting your physique and increasing metabolic rate. Hence why HIIT classes are popping up all over the place.

People have become accustomed to turning up to a class with loud music and dark lighting, just like a night club - and leaving in the same state: barely able to walk.

However ... I have a big bone to pick with HIIT, which is that there's often no focus on form or technique in these classes, even though it's now prescribed as the go-to form of exercise for everyone.

Instead, the measure of a good HIIT sessions seems to be how 'destroyed' you feel after a class. It's inevitable that problems arise from this 'all pain for gain' approach.

A study recently published in the American Journal of Medicine found instances of a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which is normally associated with military training camps, among newcomers to HIIT.

Sufferers experience pain due to intracellular muscle constituents breaking down and leaking into their blood stream. It is as though their muscles are 'melting'; left unchecked, the syndrome can lead to kidney damage.

Researchers found a number of case studies of patients who went to A&E departments with symptoms of rhabdomyolysis following their first spin classes.

The issue is simply that people are doing workouts that they're not conditioned for. There is no emphasis on flexibility, mobility or activation in many HIIT classes; yet all are incredibly important in keeping the body fit and healthy as you age.

Some people are regularly doing 1-2 HIIT sessions a day, 5-6 days per week. HIIT should not be done more than three times per week (at most), because it is so strenuous. It puts an incredible strain on your nervous system, joints and muscles; especially if you are overweight and unfit.

Has the HIIT approach to exercise gone OTT?

Is HITT entering unsustainable territory?

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


Steak & onion relish sandwich

Ingredients:

400 g flank skirt steak or bavette
2 large onions
20 g unsalted butter
olive oil
70 g dark brown sugar
125 ml red wine vinegar
1 ciabatta loaf
extra virgin olive oil
English mustard , optional
1 handful of watercress


Method:

Remove the steak from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, then cover it with greaseproof paper and bash it with the base of a pan to tenderise and make it all roughly the same thickness.

Meanwhile, peel the onions, also removing the first layer of flesh, then slice into 2cm-thick rounds.

Put the butter, a lug of oil and the sugar into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, place the onions into the pan in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour in the vinegar, pop the lid on, reduce the heat to low and cook for around 35 minutes, or until beautifully golden and caramelised on the bottom only, adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed.

Meanwhile, pop the ciabatta into the oven, turn onto 110°C/225°F/gas ¼ and leave to warm through.

Season the steak all over with sea salt and black pepper. Place a large non-stick heavy-bottomed pan on a high heat.

Once screaming hot, drizzle the steak with olive oil, then put it into the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium, or to your liking.

Remove to a plate, rest for 1 minute, then slice 1cm thick and toss through its own resting juices with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Cut the warm ciabatta in half and rub the inside of each piece in the steak resting juices.

Spread on some mustard, if you like, then layer over the caramelised onions, the steak and pinches of watercress.

Enjoy


Exercise of the week: Bent over barbell row.

Hold the barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip.

Keep the feet hip-width distance and the knees slightly bent. Slowly hinge by pushing your hips back, keeping your arms and the barbell close to your legs.

While maintaining a long and neutral spine, bend the elbows pulling them back alongside your body, and then slowly straighten the arms again.

Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each exercise, and rest for 60-90 seconds between sets.

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


Things to consider

You are what you eat:

Including lean protein, vegetables, and nuts in the diet every day can help people stay healthy and prevent certain chronic conditions.

Some plant foods, such as cruciferous vegetables and berries, contain particularly beneficial compounds, including polyphenols and glucosinolates.

Incorporating these foods into a weekly meal plan, maybe on a 2-week rotating basis, can help ensure that a person gets a wide variety of beneficial nutrients. It also prevents having a repetitive diet and can be more satisfying and appealing.

Keep alcohol to a minimum

Don't overdo it on cocktails. If you're gonna have a drink, a good choice is red wine. Red wine also has antioxidants, making it good for your heart. Liquid calories add up fast, so opt for one glass only.

Slow and steady:

By playing the long game and opting for dietary and lifestyle modifications based on your specific needs, goals, preferences, and lifestyle, you stand a much better chance of reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Deadlifts For Your Back?

It is not necessarily bad to feel some lower back soreness, but it should not be the most sore muscle group since your quads, glutes and hamstrings do most of the work.

It would also be acceptable to feel some soreness in your lats and traps as well.

Don't skip the warm-up:

Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles. Before you lift weights, warm up with five to 10 minutes of brisk walking or other aerobic activity.

Say No to Hand Sanitiser

You may think hand sanitizer will zap germs and prevent you from getting sick, but it could also be making you fat.

The germ-killing substance contains triclosan, which researchers have found to be an "obesogen," meaning it could cause weight gain by disrupting your body's hormones.

A study published in the journal PLOS One found that people who had detectable levels of triclosan in their bodies were associated with a 0.9-point increase in their BMIs.

Word to the wise for germaphobes looking to lose weight: Rely on good old soap and water instead.


Useless Facts

Most lipstick contains fish scales!

Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants!

(I wanted to include a useless fact about someone being banned from Iceland - the supermarket - because they don't wear pants. But then thought better of it).
Toby "Tower" Wallace eats the core of an apple first.

There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building!

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand!

Jan Handley can speak Braille language





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