Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Sunday 23rd April 2023

Sunday 23rd April 2023

Hello,

We have lost the ability to know how to just eat.

Sure, we know how to put food into our mouths and chew.

We just don't seem to know exactly what the best food options are.

With all these fad 'diets' out there, food has become so confusing.

We have some resources telling us only to eat 20 grams of carbohydrates a day (including vegetables), we have some experts telling us that eating bacon is totally fine - but eating fruit is not.

So when some people look at eating as a bad thing or a punishment I can understand why so many of us find it just easier to follow something that is scripted out for us and seems to work for other people without actually learning how to eat.

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 (per month):

12 months: £28
3 months: £32
1 month: £39

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 £21.25 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.

Non-members (price per session):

These prices are for those who do not have a Woodlands gym membership:

30 mins:

1 per week: £14.75
2 per week: £14.15
3 per week: £13.55

45 mins:

1 per week: £21.25
2 per week: £20.65
3 per week: £20.00

60 mins:

1 per week: £27.70
2 per week: £27.10
3 per week: £26.50

All of our PT packages include:

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

Members (price per session):

These prices are for those who have a Woodlands gym membership:

30 mins:

1 per week: £11.85
2 per week: £11.25
3 per week: £10.65

45 mins:

1 per week: £16.85
2 per week: £16.25
3 per week: £15.65

60 mins:

1 per week: £21.85
2 per week: £21.25
3 per week: £20.65

All PT packages are sold in 4 week blocks. All PT sessions must be used within a pre-agreed time period.

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


Why You Should Never Do The Leg Extension

I despise the Leg Extension. For starters, it doesn't make your legs longer.

The leg extension is a simple exercise. You sit in a leg extension machine and extend your knees to straighten your legs against resistance. You know the saying, "Feel the burn?" Well, your thighs will be on fire.

The Leg Extension is found in a variety of workouts. Some athletes use it as an assistance movement on lower-body days to complement their big lifts. Gym-goers often perform it to get bigger, more defined quads. It's also commonly used in rehab settings to regain quad strength after an injury.

So what's the big issue? The exercise certainly builds bigger and stronger and quads, but the juice may not be worth the squeeze for athletes.

Stress on the Knee:

During Leg Extensions, the resistance is located at the shins, just above the feet. This causes shearing forces on the knees, which means the force is experienced horizontally across the joint. Your body does not like this.

In most serious injuries, there's some form of horizontal force—whether from a collision or momentum—that causes the injury.

In the case of the Leg Extension, the ACL is the primary concern.

The ACL prevents your lower leg from sliding forward relative to your thigh. The Leg Extension directs its forces on the ACL. According to a study published in the Journal of Biomechanics, peak ACL tension was experienced during the Leg Extension when compared to the Squat and Leg Press.

The weight used may be light compared to an exercise like a Squat, but that doesn't necessarily matter. A study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that increasing the resistance during the Squat did not increase strain on the ACL, whereas increasing the resistance during the Leg Extension did add strain to the ligament.

The force is applied far from your knee, so if you're using 100 pounds, your knee will experience a much greater weight. Also, your body is designed to handle the compressive force of a Squat, so lifting hundreds of pounds is not a problem.

A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery confirmed this. The researchers found that movements like the Squat and Deadlift cause greater compression force and muscular activation, while movements like the Leg Extension produce greater shear force and minimum muscular activation.

Overdeveloped Quads:

At Woodlands, we emphasise building the backside of your body - the posterior chain - rather than the 'show-me' muscles on the front of your body. For example, even if you want to impress your friends with chiseled pecs, you need to focus your time working your back muscles.

The same can be said for your quads.

There's a temptation to want strong quads, because they're the most visible indicator of leg strength. You rarely—if ever—hear someone say, "Hey, look at my jacked hamstrings!"

But, overdeveloped quads and the resulting imbalance with the hamstrings causes a slew of problems.

Your quads and hamstrings work together to protect your knees. The quads relieve stress on the PCL while the hamstrings relieve stress on the ACL. If your quads are too strong, your hamstrings won't be able to do their job, and your ACL will be at risk—which is particularly problematic for female athletes.

Also, the hamstrings are absolutely critical for sprinting and changing direction. They play a role in pulling your body forward, and they also absorb momentum when you decelerate. If you have overdeveloped quads and weak hamstrings, you'll be slow and more likely to get hurt.

It's best to use exercises that are functional—meaning they help you achieve your desired goal, which should be to become a better athlete.

The answer here is simple: Squat more!

A study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that the Squat caused greater hamstring and quad co-contraction than the Leg Extension.
Implications
Is the Leg Extension the worst exercise ever created?

Maybe not.

Many people regularly perform it with no negative consequences. We could argue that some folks have overdeveloped quads and need to lay off Leg Extensions, but that's a whole different story.

But for high-performance athletes, adding potential stress and compounding an already prevalent problem is neither ideal nor recommended. Stick with primary leg movements like Squats and Deadlifts to build strong legs. If you feel the need to specifically target your quads, try moves like Front Squats or Reverse Lunges. These are better options to achieve your goal.


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


Cheap ways to get your 5-a-day

You don't need to spend a fortune to eat well. Getting your recommended five-a-day can be affordable if you make the right choices.

There are plenty of clever ways you can boost your intake of fruit and vegetables while keeping costs down, like stocking kitchen cupboards with tinned fruit, filling the fridge with whatever's in season and getting familiar with your freezer.

Over the next 20 newsletters you'll get plenty of tips on how to eat your five-a-day on a budget, plus a range of delicious recipes to try.

These will include:

1. Tinned tomatoes
2. Frozen berries
3. Frozen vegetables
4. Lentils
5. Chickpeas
6. Canned fruit
7. Sweet potato
8. Dried fruit
9. Eat seasonal
10. Eat local
11. Boost your breakfasts
12. Healthy snacks
13. Go veggie
14. Serve a salad
15. Try something new
16. Add to omelettes
17. Tasty traybakes
18. Include the kids
19. Swap chocolate for fruit
20. Add veg to smoothies

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


Recipe of the week: Keema Style Beef

Ingredients:

1 Onion
2 Garlic Clove
240 grams Beef Mince
150 grams Basmati Rice
1 table spoon Tomato Puree
1 table spoon Rogan Josh Curry Paste
50 grams Red Split Lentils
10 grams Beef Stock Paste
100 grams Baby Spinach
1 table spoon Mango Chutney

Method:

Halve, peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef mince and cook until browned, 5-6 mins. Use a wooden spoon to break it up as it cooks. TIP: Drain off any excess fat if necessary.

Wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Meanwhile, pour the water for the rice (see ingredients for amount) into a saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiling, add 1/4 tsp of salt, stir in the rice, lower the heat to medium and pop a lid on the pan.

Leave to cook for 10 mins, then remove the pan from the heat (still covered) and leave to the side for another 10 mins or until ready to serve (the rice will continue to cook in its own steam).

Once the beef is browned, add the onion to the pan, stir together and cook until softened, 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, tomato puree and rogan josh curry paste, stir together and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the water for the sauce (see ingredients for amount), red split lentils and beef stock paste. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the lentils are tender, 20-25 mins. Stir every few minutes to ensure the lentils are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once the lentils are tender, add the spinach to the curry in handfuls and cook until wilted and piping hot, 2-3 mins. Stir in the mango chutney.

TIP:

Add a splash of water if it's a little dry. Taste and add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and spoon into bowls. Top with the curry.

Enjoy!


Exercise of the week: Barbell glute bridge

A barbell glute bridge is much like a regular glute bridge that uses your body weight to build muscle. But instead of pointing your arms toward your feet, you hold a barbell positioned across your hips while completing the exercise.

Beginners should start lifting with only the barbell, then add weights over time as their muscles strengthen.

How to do it:

Roll out a mat to cushion your body.

Lay flat on your back.

Roll a barbell over your legs and let it rest where your hips bend. Consider using a pad that wraps around the barbell to cushion the weight against your body.

Bend your knees 90 degrees, so they point up to the ceiling.

Keep your feet flat on the floor.

Place your hands around the barbell.

Use your heels to push your hips upward while you hold the barbell. Your shoulders and head will remain flat on the floor.

Your knees should still point upward, with your body forming a straight line from your shoulders to your hips. You may feel your abdominal muscles tightening while moving into this position.

Hold this upward position for a few seconds, then slowly release back to the floor.

Move your body slowly in and out of this position for up to 10 reps, depending on your strength, stamina, and the barbell weight.

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.


Things to consider

Do Deadlift:

If squats are king, deadlifts are second in command. They are not bad for your back unless your form is horrible.

Don't Deprive Yourself:

Though you may give yourself a pat on the back for passing on that slice of chocolate cake you've been craving for dessert, you're actually doing yourself (and your waistline) a disservice in the long run.

According to a study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, when you resist food, your body actually experiences more cravings for whatever it is you aren't getting.

Saying "no" to a sweet treat or slice of pizza wires our brains to view forbidden foods as rewards, setting us up for cravings that are hard to satisfy, so give yourself a break and indulge every now and again.

Balance your upper body work:

This means equal effort for chest, back and shoulders. Stop doing 7 exercises for chest and only lat pull downs for back. Balance will keep you healthy, strong and help to stave off shoulder issues.

Food provides this energy:

I know right, who knew...?

Calories are units of energy that allow the body to work. Food provides this energy, some of which the body stores and some of which it uses. As the body breaks down food, it releases calories as energy. There are approximately 3,500 calories in a pound (lb) of body fat.

Put away from the muscle comics:

Beginners...stop training like advanced lifters, using advanced splits and training techniques. They are not needed. What you need is to get strong on the basic compound lifts more than anything.

Push Back Breakfast:

Instead of gobbling down breakfast at home, eat at your desk a few hours later than you typically do. Pushing back your first meal of the day naturally reduces your "eating window"—the number of hours you spend each day grazing.

Why is that beneficial?

Sticking to a smaller eating window may help you lose weight, even if you eat more food throughout the day, a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism found. What's more, time-restricted eating reduced excessive body weight by 20 percent and prevented further weight gain.


Useless Facts

The average talker sprays about 300 microscopic saliva droplets per minute, about 2.5 droplets per word.

The saddest moment for a child is not when he learns Santa Claus isn't real; it's when he learns Kate Furniss is.

The Earth experiences 50,000 Earth quakes per year and is hit by Lightning 100 times a second.

Every year 11,000 Americans injure themselves while trying out bizarre sexual positions.

Gary Blackham used to beat the shit out of his shadow because it was following too close. It now stands a safe 30 feet behind him.

If we had the same mortality rate now as in 1900, more than half the people in the world today would not be alive.


Previous newsletters:

The Woodlands newsletter Sunday 16th April 2023:

http://www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/blog?aid=31900

The Woodlands newsletter Sunday 9th April 2023:

http://www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/blog?aid=31878

The Woodlands newsletter Sunday 2nd April 2023:

http://www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/blog?aid=31821

The Woodlands newsletter Sunday 26th March 2023:

http://www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk/blog?aid=31545


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