Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Sunday 5th March 2023

Sunday 5th March 2023

Hi,

Firstly, I forgot to email out the newsletter last week. I know, big disappointment for some of you.

Here is the link:

http://www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/blog?aid=31306

Right, let's get back to this week's newsletter:

Not everyone is a good candidate for a successful body transformation. It is the naked truth - not everyone can transform their body dramatically and keep it this way.

If it would be so easy, nobody would hire a personal trainer and everyone would look like fitness models.

The success of your body transformation ultimately depends only on one person: you!

How much do you really want it?

How hard are you ready to work?

There is no need to get scared - but these facts must be understood before starting your body transformation.

There will be lots of work and lots of weak moments during the process. In my professional career, I have seen many success stories as well as a lot of failures.

Some people struggle with healthy nutrition. Others cannot find a way to workout consistently.

But the truth is, only when you stop creating excuses, the results start showing.



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: £28

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-pt-timetable


Small Group PT membership prices:

Joint/Student:

12 months: £32pm
3 months: £34pm
1 month: £38pm

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

Prices (per month):

12 month: £49
3 month: £51
1 month: £53

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:

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

5 weeks x 2 per week
10 x 30 mins: £108 (£135)

45 mins:

3 weeks x 2 per week
6 x 45 mins: £98 (£1202

4 weeks x 2 per week
8 x 45 mins: £128 (£161)

60 mins:

4 weeks x 1 per week
4 x 60 mins: £88 (£109)

4 weeks x 2 per week
8 x 60 mins: £169 (£213)

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



Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

They contain 12 grams of carbohydrates per ounce (28 grams), which is pretty high, but 11 of these grams are fiber.

This makes chia seeds a low-carb-friendly food and one of the best sources of fiber in the world.

Because of its high fiber content, chia seeds can absorb up to 11-12 times their weight in water, turning gel-like and expanding in your stomach.

Though some studies have shown that chia seeds can help reduce appetite, they did not find a statistically significant effect on weight loss.

However, given their nutrient composition, it makes sense that chia seeds could be a useful part of your weight loss diet.

Chia seeds are very high in fiber, which fills you up and reduces appetite. For this reason, they can be useful on a weight loss diet.

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


Build Muscle With Time Under Tension (part 2)

Time under tension (TUT) is a way of calculating the total amount of work you place on a muscle.

Time under tension refers to the total time a muscle resists weight during each set. For example, if you did the barbell curl and it took you two seconds to curl the weight up and another two seconds to lower it, that's four seconds of tension per rep. Performing 10 reps at this pace would take a total of 40 seconds.

Therefore, the TUT for that set is 40 seconds. If you increased the speed of those reps to about three seconds, then it would take you only 30 seconds to complete a 10-rep set.

Although the number of reps and the amount of weight are the same, the second set might not increase your muscle mass to the same level as the first. And that's the basis of TUT training: focus on sets that last for a certain amount of time based on your training goals.

For muscular hypertrophy, 30-70 seconds per set is optimal. For strength and size gains, or functional hypertrophy, you should train on the lower end of that range, around 30-50 seconds. If you want maximum hypertrophy without a strength emphasis, train on the higher end of that range, or around 50-70 seconds. Here are ways to incorporate it into your workout.

Alter your tempo:

You can create the most microtrauma in your muscles during the eccentric part (lowering portion) of an exercise. In my experience, I've had the most success using approximately three seconds to complete the eccentric component of a lift.

Once at the bottom of the rep, pause for 1-2 seconds. Pausing removes all momentum and stored energy from your working muscle, which means you receive no extra help when you start moving the weight.

The pause also truly gives you a moment to mentally activate your working muscle for the concentric portion of the lift. This increased awareness, or mind-muscle connection, will help you recruit the proper muscle fibers and expedite results.

When beginning the concentric portion of an exercise, focus on being powerful and explosive without forgetting your form. This part of the lift should take no longer than about one second, but will become slightly longer as your body fatigues. Once at the top of the rep, create maximal tension by pausing for a full second at the peak of the rep.

Putting all of this together results in about 5-6 seconds per rep—a perfect combination for performing 8-12 reps and keeping your muscles under tension for 30-70 seconds per set.

Dropsets:

To perform a dropset, lift a selected weight until you reach the point of failure. Then, lighten the weight and continue lifting until you perform a predetermined amount of reps or hit failure again.

You can continue dropping in this fashion as long you like, to put more tension on your muscles, but bear in mind poliquin's suggestions for TUT.

When employing this technique, i recommend selecting a weight you can perform 4-6 times before reaching failure. Follow it by using a weight you can lift for 10-12 reps before reaching failure.

Doing dropsets will subject your body to heavier weights necessary for maximal tissue breakdown, but will keep the target muscle under tension for the optimal amount of time.

Partial reps and forced reps:

Partial reps are exactly what they sound like: reps that aren't performed in a full range of motion. For pushing movements, that means you don't fully lock out any joints.

For pulling movements, you won't hit peak contraction.

Performing reps shy of completion keeps constant tension on the muscle and allows you to handle heavier weights.

To do forced reps, have a spotter assist you past the point of failure. This technique extends the time spent under tension and allows you to use heavier weights. Forced reps are very strenuous on your muscles, tendons, and nervous system, so be sure to use them sparingly.

The amount of time you put your muscles under tension is a critical component of muscle growth. Anyone, from the gym newb to the hardcore lifter, can benefit from mixing some increased time under tension techniques into his or her program.

Not only will the increase in time under tension spur new muscle growth, but it will force you to check your form and use more appropriate weights.

My challenge to you for this week's training is to try some of these techniques and increase the time under tension your muscles experience. I think you'll reap some excellent rewards.

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


Recipe of the week: Chicken Gyros

Ingredients (chicken, marinade & toppings):

180g Thinly Cut Chicken Breast (raw weight) (Brand:
Macrofoods Skinless Chicken Breast)
100g Low Fat Greek Yoghurt (Brand: YoPro)
Squeeze Of Lemon Juice
Salt, Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Coriander Powder, Pepper (or whichever seasonings you have available)
5g Minced Garlic
1/2 Sliced Tomato
20g Sliced Red Onion
Fresh Parsley (optional topping)

Tzatziki Sauce:

75g Low Fat Greek Yoghurt
5g Minced Garlic
Dill & Salt
Freshly Grated Cucumber
Squeeze Of Lemon Juice

Garlic Flatbread:

- 60g Self Raising Flour (Brand: Vetta Smart Protein Self
Raising Flour - or you can use plain flour mixed with 1 Tsp of baking powder & salt)
75g Low Fat Greek Yoghurt
Parsley Flakes (optional topping)

To keep it simple you can just cook it regularly on a pan, in the oven, air fryer etc.

NOTES:

You can either cook the chicken on a pan, grill, in the oven, air fryer or whichever way you prefer & is easiest. The method I did was placing 2 wooden skewers on a half cut onion then stacking the chicken on top.

Depending on the brand of yoghurt different ones contain more/ less moisture which can cause the dough to be sticky.

If this happens slowlv add more flour until vou have a consistent you can work with.
When rolling the dough out make sure to lightly flour your surface beforehand to avoid sticking.

You don't have to make the flatbread & can use any store bought one if you like but fresh is always best!

Enjoy!



Exercise of the week: Dumbbell step-up

Why:

By activating all of your upper leg muscles (glutes, quads and hamstrings) it's an entire leg day in one move. Plus, it's low-impact, which is means you avoid the knee injuries associated with more explosive exercises.

How to do it:

Stand in front of bench with a dumbbell in each hand.

Place your right foot onto the bench, push up through your heel to lift your whole body up.

Step down with your left foot.

This is 1 rep.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Make sure you maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

Do 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

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


Back and Biceps:

Don't train back the day after biceps. The biceps are heavily involved with pulling/rowing movements used to blast the back.

If you work biceps the day before back, your biceps will be fatigued and could limit your back workout productivity.

Fruit:

Fruit is high in fiber and provides bulk that may help you feel full for longer. Whole fruit has a stronger effect on fullness than fruit juice.

Traps:

Don't obsess about direct trap work. The traps are worked hard when deadlifting, and also during overhead pressing and other shoulder exercises such as laterals.

Do not assume that you need an excessive amount of direct traps work to build big traps. In fact, if you are deadlifting and using a form of the military press, you may not need much direct trap work at all.

Indulge in small portions:

When a craving strikes, it's best to find a reasonable, healthy substitute that might still appeal to you. If not, allow yourself to indulge in a craving, but do so in small portions. Remember the 80/20 rule.

Nuts:

Nuts are a popular snack choice. They're rich in healthy fats and also contain some protein. They're likewise very filling and may reduce hunger.

Go steady:

When you want to lose fat, move more, but don't train more. When you cut calories, your body has a lower capacity to recover from hard training.

Beware of Wedded Bliss:

A review of more than 600 studies found that being married, and transitioning into marriage, are both associated with weight gain. Transitioning out of a marriage, however, is associated with weight loss.

The researchers found that weight gain occurs because of increased opportunities for eating due to shared, regular meals and larger portion sizes, as well as decreased physical activity and a decline in weight maintenance for the purpose.

We're hardly advocating staying single or getting a divorce (unless you choose to) this research clearly indicates that dieters need to be especially careful around the wedding day. To keep things in check after you take the plunge, meal prep with your partner or develop a workout routine together.


Useless Facts

Sue Highley once went to a magic show. The magician asked for a volunteer for his disappearing act. Sue raised her hand and the magician disappeared.

Leslie "Chow" Short can put 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack.

Most Egyptians died by the time they were 30 about 300 years ago,

For some time Frederic Chopin, the composer and pianist, wore a beard on only one side of his face, explaining: "It does not matter, my audience sees only my right side."

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared someway or another on television.

1 in 8 Americans has worked at a McDonalds restaurant.













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