Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands November 2012 Newsletter

Thursday 1st November 2012

What's new?

Right then boys, girls and David Read!!!! It's November!

The most important thing this month is Harley's birthday. Harley will be 20. Just so everyone can plan ahead, he will be off from Friday 2nd November to Tuesday 6th November. His birthday party will be taking place in Chesterfield. I think there might be a magician going (Darren "The Magnificent" Crowder!!!).

Another important event in November is of course bonfire night. Now it might all seem like kicks and giggles when we're setting fire to stuff, waving our sparklers about and shooting fireworks into the sky. But have you given any thought to our friend, the Hedgehog?

The hedgehog, which is Britain's only spinal mammal, is an endearing little creature and familiar to us all. They are sadly in decline in Britain, and they increasingly rely on our gardens for food and shelter as their traditional habitat - woodlands, hedges (hence the name!!!!!), farmland - has been reduced.

In November, many hedgehogs meet an unnecessary death in a bonfire. They like to nest and hibernate in piles of leaves and logs. So if you're building a bonfire this November 5th, please check carefully for hedgehogs and other small animals before lighting it.

We are thinking of having a social event in Chesterfield on Saturday 17th November. Who's free? How about we meet at Spa Lane Vaults on St. Mary's Gate at around 8pm?

In last month's newsletter I said I was thinking of adding an extra class on Thursday morning. Nobody offered any suggestions. So, either nobody wants an additional class or nobody reads my newsletter (sniff!!!) Soooooo, if anybody has any ideas, please come and speak to a member of staff.

If anybody has any questions, comments, concerns or queries, please come and talk to me at the club. Or you can email us at woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk.

Thanks,
Giles


Wanna lose weight before Santa comes?

So you want to lose a bit of weight before Christmas, yes? Perhaps there's a little black dress you want to slip into?

There are 3,500 calories in 1b of body fat. To lose a, say, half a stone (7 pounds), you will need to burn off 24,500 calories. It sounds a lot but it isn't. There are fast ways of losing weight but they're not healthy or sustainable.

Just so you know Christmas Day is in 54 days (as at 1st November). Many of you might want to lose weight in advance of Christmas Day but for the purpose of these calculations, that's the deadline we'll aim for.

To lose half a stone by Christmas Day, you will need to an average calorie deficit of 454 calories per day. Simple? Of course it is.

If you have a calorie deficit of 600 calories per day, it will take you 41 days to lose half a stone. A deficit of 500 calories per day will take 49 days. A deficit of 400 calories per day will take 62 days. A deficit of 300 calories per day will take 82 days.

Remember, the quicker you lose it the quicker you put it back on. With 'Yo-Yo' type diets, you'll lose both muscle and body fat during the initial weight-loss phase. As such, weight-bearing exercise is required to maintain muscle.

After completing the diet, you'll probably experience the body's starvation response, which will lead to rapid weight gain of only fat. This is a cycle that changes the body's fat-to-muscle ratio, which is one of the more important factors in health.

You need you to create a diet plan based around your daily calorie requirement. Make sure you NEVER have refined sugar, flour, alcohol, fruit juices, bread, or pasta. Stay away from processed food. Stay away!!!!

As a treat you can have plain yogurt and some fresh fruit (check glycemic index for lowest GI fruit) every night. Make sure you spread out the calories in 6 equally proportioned meals a day.

You can eat lean meats, fish, vegetables, egg whites, fruit and nuts (not fruit and nut chocolate though!!!!). You might want to consider protein shakes (particularly you, Julie Stone!!!).

I'm always being asked by members how they can lose fat from a specific part of the body. More often than not the problem area is the stomach, legs, bum and hips. Unfortunately, it is never possible to spot reduce fat.

Everyone will know what parts of their body they most want to tone and we can help you to develop the muscle. This is a sensitive area so you will have to tell us what you want.

I'm sure all of the above makes sense but any questions just ask me.


What is Tabata?

Yes, what is Tabata? As we enter November, I'm sure that is the question everyone is asking.

Most people love a bit of steady state cardio. They go mad for it. Well it ain't great for you.

Plonking yourself on a x-trainer for 30 minutes and staring glassy eyed at your iphone won't do you much good (yes, I'm referring to you, Emily Allanson!!!). Steady state cardio elevates cortisol (a nasty stress hormone!!!) levels in your body. This you do not want.

Steady state cardio is also catabolic. Being in a catabolic state is muscle wasting. Lots of steady cardio causes muscle tissue breakdown. You want your body to be in an anabolic (muscle building) state. That's how I roll.

There's a form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) called Tabata. It's fairly straightforward: it uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles).

All of Tabata the intervals have to be done at 100% intensity - an absolute flat out effort. You need to perform as much work in each 20 second interval as possible and try to maintain that work rate for the 8 - 10 sets. You can train long and easy or short and hard, but short and hard is better for your goals!

You can do exercises like skipping, burpees, mountain climbers and squat thrusts. I like to do some sprints on Rowsley playing fields. I'm happy to take members with me next time I go.

I'm sure all of the above makes sense but any questions just come and have little chat with me.


Take it slow and steady.

We want every single member to get the best results they can in the safest, fastest most effective way possible.

Take it slow and steady. Many people, in a combination of enthusiasm and impatience, wind up doing too much, too soon, too frequently. That results in soreness, exhaustion, and feeling burnout - in other words, lack of motivation.

Take your workouts one day at a time and enjoy the journey. I once heard somebody say: "Inch by inch life is a synch; yard by yard life is hard".

If you are looking for a fun new routine to spice up your workouts and help renew your training motivation then get yourself booked in today.

We can give you a workout routine specific for you so you'll never get stuck doing the same old training routine day in and day out.


Superfoods!!!!! They're super!!!!!

Super foods are foods that are deemed highly beneficial to your health. They offer protection against a number of diseases, provide you with energy and are full of anti-oxidants.

Super foods can also help boost your metabolism. Some of the most popular super foods are blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes and yoghurt.

Whilst super foods are a great way to raise your metabolic rate it is important to make sure that they are only a supplement to your diet. Eating only super foods will not do you much good in the long run. In fact it could even cause long term damage as you will be missing out on other vital nutrients.

For the best metabolism boosting results make sure you introduce super foods to your existing healthy diet and you will notice the benefits. For example, you could add a few blueberries to your morning bowl of cereal. You could have a portion of grapefruit as a mid-morning snack or add some tomatoes to a lovely green salad.

The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 29, Peak Village Estate, Chatsworth Road, Rowsley, Derbyshire, DE4 2JE
T: (01629) 733 123
E: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk