Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands Fitness Centre August 2014 Newsletter

Friday 1st August 2014

Welcome to the Woodlands Rowsley August 2014 newsletter. This could possibly be the best - and maybe the most exciting - newsletter I've ever written.

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about the gym layout and ways in which it can be improved. Classes are a very important and exciting part of what the club offers. As such, I want to make the studio area even bigger.

Lee has been doing some of his Body Conditioning classes outside. I've know of other gyms that do classes outside, on carpeted floors, on cheap laminate and on rubber floors. There are also outside bootcamps. As such, I've been thinking about how necessary a 'conventional' dance studio is.

Lee's Wednesday Body Con class is more 'functional' than it used to. Many of our other classes, including bootcamp, circuits, group Personal Training, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and kettlebells could be done in the gym.

I'm planning to relocate the studio area to the other corner of the gym (where the stretching area and treadmills are now). The studio area will be hidden from the gym area using room separators so the gym members won't be able to see the class taking place.

Aside from many other advantages which will soon become apparent, the relocation of the studio will allow an uninterrupted breeze to enter the building. Strategically positioned fans will direct air into the gym and the studio area.

The new studio area will be mirrored. There will also be wall mounted fixings for the TRX handles - which will benefit the circuit, group personal training and bootcamp classes. I want to make it abundantly clear this is NOT about getting rid of any classes. I love having JT, Katie, Donna, Becki and Donna as part of the Woodlands team.

We've received multiple requests for a ladies only area. So - when classes aren't running - the studio area will be a private ladies only/PT studio area with new medicine balls and a larger range of kettlebells (from 2.5kg up to 20kg), which will also benefit the circuit, group personal training and bootcamp classes.

Other news is that I've ordered some new mats. These will be arriving on Monday 4th August). The entire gym floor (about 4,000 square feet) will be covered with these mats.

I always want to know what you think of the Woodlands Fitness Centre - the gym, classes, prices, personal training, and anything else. Please speak to me at the gym, use the suggestion box or email any feedback and suggestions to the email address at the end of this newsletter.

Thanks, Giles

Paleo Snack Ideas no. 2.

These are this month's Paleo snack ideas:

Can of tuna: many grocery stores sell single-serving cans of tuna: some of them even have a convenient peel-off lid so you don't need a can opener.

Dried fruit: be sparing with this one, as dried fruit is high in sugar, but for an active athlete this can be a great energy boost.

Meat and veggie skewers: for a gourmet Paleo snack (or finger food for a party), arrange folded slices of deli meat, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and other veggies on a skewer and enjoy.

Paleo Granola: this is amazing with some coconut or almond milk as a replacement for traditional breakfast cereals.

Banana chips: cut up a banana into thin slices, and lightly coat the slices in lemon juice. Bake them on a baking sheet at 200 degrees, turning them every 30 minutes. When they're crispy, take them out and store them in an airtight container.

10 reasons why you're not losing fat. Reason 3: You're always dieting

Diet and you will lose weight? That's true - up to a point. The problem is that diets are, by their very nature, restrictive and therefore unsustainable. Ultimately it doesn't matter whether you do Lighter Life, Juice Plus, Atkins, SlimFast or the Only Eating Celery Whilst Dressed as an Otter diet (I've made that last one up - but some people will buy anything!!!) - any weight-loss plan operates by limiting what you eat, whether it's by slashing calories, removing entire food groups or forcing you to live on milk shakes.

In the short term, of course, the weight will fall off, you can tighten your belt an extra notch and your shirt buttons no longer pop. And this is when people go back to eating normally again. Sadly, the weight will pile back on and you're back where you started. This is known as 'yo yo dieting'. The real secret to losing weight is not to give up fast food and beer for two weeks. It's to make long-term, sustainable changes to your diet. The weight will take longer to come off, but if you do it this way it will stay off.

3 Week Paleo detox

Following on from the previous article, I've put together a simple 3 Week detox to help you get into a strict Paleo diet - which is a dietary framework I believe many of you should follow a long-term, sustainable eating plan. I have covered the Paleo diet in the Woodlands January 2014 newsletter, which is available on the Woodlands website (Woodlands Blog).

The objective of this 3 Week Paleo detox to cleanse the body of all sugar and alcohol before gradually start adding elements back in to reset the body and stabilize hormones. This challenge will get rid of the cravings and clean out your system to help you restart the Paleo Diet. It will be a tough 3 week challenge - if you choose to accept it.

Following are the rules specifically laid out for each week...

Week 1:

No Sugar (including fruit), No Dairy, No grain, no legumes and definitely no alcohol! No sugar includes artificial sweeteners, stevia, honey, agave.

This is a list of what you can have:

Vegetables:

Artichoke, Beet greens, Peppers, Brussel sprouts, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Onions, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnip, Radish, Turnip greens, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Endive, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Parsley, Spinach, Tomato and Turnips.

Proteins:

All fish, shellfish, any game meat, eggs, lean pork, lean beef and lean poultry. don't have any processed lunchmeat or bacon.

Fats:

As you are cutting out sugar and fruit you will need fat as energy (but don't overdo the fats):

Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, almond oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, sesame seeds and walnuts.

Week 2:

This week everything stays the same, but you can start reintroducing fruit every other day. You can also start adding back in sweet potato and squash. As for proteins you can add back in nitrate free bacon.

Fruit (I have only listed the most popular):

Apple, avocado, blackberries, raspberries, bluberries, strawberries, nectarine, peaches, plums, cranberries, grapes, melon(all), lemon, pomegranite, rhubarb, watermelon, apricot, banana, cherries, pears, figs, kiwi, lime and coconut (considered a fat).

Acceptable legumes:

Sweet potato, pumpkin and squash.

Week 3:

This week is all about maintaining. You have now been strict Paleo for 2 solid weeks. The cravings should be subsiding or gone. You should feel pretty good! If you need energy add in a little more fat or protein. There are no more daily restrictions on fruit but your body should not want as much. On Saturday you can have a cheat meal - but be careful as any alcohol or sugar or grains will put your body in turmoil.


Very Punny

I started a band called the '999 Megabytes' - we haven't got a gig yet!

How do you kill a circus? You go for the juggler!

What do you call it when Batman skips church? Christian Bale!



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