Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands Fitness Centre January 2015 Newsletter

Thursday 1st January 2015

What's New?

Welcome to the Woodlands Rowsley January 2015 newsletter. Lee, Jack and I would like to wish all of our members - past, present and future - a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

What's new? Well firstly, there will be no major changes this year. I've made all of the major changes I plan to make over the last 6 years.

It's this time of year when many people are looking to join a gym to start their New Year's resolutions. If you're one of those people, you need to ask yourself a number of questions:

1). Do you want to see changes in your body shape and fitness?
2). Do you want a personalised workout to get you the best results?
3). Do you want to stay motivated and enjoy fitness?

If your answer to any of these questions is 'yes' then you should only consider joining the Woodlands Fitness Centre.

The main reasons people don't make the most of their gym memberships include a lack of motivation, they are too embarrassed to work out in front of others or they receive little to no individual attention. To combat these barriers to getting the results you want, we have created the Unlimited Personal training scheme.

The Woodlands Unlimited Personal training scheme is an appointment controlled Personal training system where a personal trainer will train up to 6 members at any one time. Sessions will typically be up to 45 minutes and are designed for both males and females of mixed ability. The group Personal training workout routines are themed - not a typical circuit routine.

If you want expert advice and motivation to stay on the right track and get you results, then you should only consider joining the Woodlands Fitness Centre."

Woodlands Rowsley offer 35 classes/group Personal training sessions each week, which are included in the monthly membership fee.

Whenever I sit down to write the Woodlands newsletter I always feel a bit sorry for the writers and editors of magazines like Menshealth, Flex etc. How do they manage to fill a whole magazine each and ever month? The basic principles of how to get leaner, bigger and stronger haven't really changed. We communicate the basics pretty much every month.

So what is new for 2015 at Woodlands? Well we've been looking at what's going to be popular in 2015 and it's not much different to what was popular in 2014.

High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT), functional fitness (including Crossfit type training) and Group Personal training will continue to be among the fitness industry's hottest trends in 2015. The top fitness trends for 2015 include:

1). High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT).
2). Body weight training
3). Educated and experienced training professionals.
4). Strength training (not bodybuilding).
5). Exercise and weight loss.
6). Personal training.
7). Fitness programmes for older adults.
8). Functional fitness (including Crossfit type training - which you can do at Woodlands).
9). Group Personal training

As with 2014, we've incorporated these into our class timetable and Personal training / group Personal training sessions.

We're big fans of High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT), body weight training, strength training (not bodybuilding), Personal training, functional training and group Personal training. And we are - of course - educated and experienced training professionals.

As everyone who reads the monthly newsletter will know, we're not fans of "steady state" cardio training - as this will cause cortisol levels to increase. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and has been linked to fatigue, hormonal imbalances, heart disease, excessive blood sugar levels and elevated cholesterol.

Cortisol will eat away at your muscle fibres and reverse the effects of your training. You must understand the different between losing weight and losing fat. The truth is you won't look much better unless it's fat you're burning. If cardio burns just fat, then you could just do cardio all day and get lean. But we all know it's not that easy. Cardio training can cause the body to use muscle for fuel and to try to hold on to body fat instead of burning it.

As mentioned in last month's newsletter, cardio does nothing to slow the ageing process. In fact, it does the exact opposite. Doing long frequent cardio sessions will break down your muscles and increase the production of free radicals. These free radicals are nasty little things that damage the cells in your body and accelerate aging.

If you're concerned about your heart health (and we all should be), there is a much more effective way to improve your cardiovascular health - and it takes only 1/3 the time of a conventional cardio workout and it also triggers your youth enhancing hormones instead of those nasty free radicals that age you more quickly. It's called HIIT.

At Woodlands, we're all about providing training methods that prepare the body for the activities performed in your day to day life. The functional training methods we provide will lead to better muscular balance and joint stability. The benefits may arise from the use of training that emphasizes the body's natural ability to move in three anatomical planes of motion.

Although fixed-resistance machines can often be safer to use and do have their place in most fitness facilities, they do restrict movements to a single plane of motion, which is an unnatural form of movement for the body and may lead to faulty movement patterns or injury.

Most machine exercises can easily be replaced by free weight equivalents. I think seated abdominal curl machines are fairly pointless. Ab crunches are one of the most popular ab exercises but they're not necessarily the best. The rectus abdominis - commonly known as your six-pack - does not function primarily to bend the torso, but rather to brace the spine and transfer power from the hips to the upper torso. Instead, do Swiss ball planks because they work the core the way nature intended - with little to no strain on your back. And they work it hard.

There's an old saying: "abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym". Put simply, getting a six-pack starts in the kitchen. You can do thousands of ab crunches but if you're taking in too many calories you'll never see those abdominal muscles. Reduction of body fat is the only way to uncover that hidden six pack. Eat a well balanced diet that includes lean proteins, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. Females will start to see abs at around 18% bodyfat and a six pack will show at around 12% bodyfat.

To develop a strong, balanced, lean and aesthetically pleasing physique freeweight exercises are the most effective option for most people.

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







Healthy Snack Ideas number 7.

Smoothies: toss some frozen berries and a little coconut milk into a blender, with one or two eggs for protein.

Jalapeno peppers stuffed with guacamole: a Paleo version of the classic "jalapeno poppers," these are a spicy, tasty Paleo snack idea.

Frozen berries: a cup of frozen strawberries or blueberries makes a perfect Paleo snack on a hot summer afternoon. Top with coconut milk for a special treat!

Salsa with veggies: you can make your own salsa, or buy an all-natural version from the grocery store; just make sure it doesn't have any crazy or unpronounceable ingredients.

Organic, no-filler hot dogs: if you can get hot dogs with no artificial additives, they make a great Paleo snack.


10 Reasons to do Group Personal training number 2: You Don't Know Where to Start

Knowing how to set up a complete exercise schedule that includes all the activities you need to do - cardio, weight training and flexibility - can be overwhelming. Add the time and knowledge it takes to choose exercises, weights, reps and sets and you may quit before you even start.

This is where a personal trainer can be the biggest help. He can help you maximize your time while keeping you within your own limits so you don't overdo it. He can also help you set goals and map out a specific schedule so you know when, how and where you'll fit in your workouts.

Woodlands Rowsley now offer a range of small group Personal training sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening. These small group Personal training sessions are a great way to get fitter with friends and family.

With only having a small number of clients in each session, each individual can be monitored and set goals in each session and still have the same results as they would from one-to-one Personal training.

3 Week Paleo detox

It's normally this time of year when I'm being asked about diet plans etc.

I've previously shared a simple 3 Week detox diet outline, which has successfully been used by many of my Personal training clients.

I recommend the Paleo diet to my clients because it's simple and it works. As such, it is incredibly frustrating when people refer to the Paleo Diet as "a fad diet".

It's easy to understand why people do this (dismissing Paleo as a "fad" gives them an excuse to continue with unhealthy eating habits without feeling guilty). The Paleo diet is different from "fad diets" in several very significant ways.

Fad diets are typically short-term weight-loss plans that rely on tricks and gimmicks to disguise how they really work: an extreme reduction in calorie intake. They play on the psychological rollercoaster of self-hatred and desire for immediate results - people will ride a wave of short-term motivation until the dieter caves and goes off the diet, and then blames him/herself for "having no willpower" or "being lazy."

The Paleo is about comfortable and healthy long-term maintenance. Unlike fad diets, the Paleo diet helps you develop a healthy mindset about food - and you'll learn how to navigate realistic compromises between the chocolate cake all around you and the desire to take care of your body. That's not to say that you can't incorporate foods you feel you simply can't live without. So if you can't live your life without pasta, then treat yourself to it occasionally.

The 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 Paleo diet emulates the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It includes whole, unprocessed foods that resemble what they look like in nature. This is the diet I've followed and I know it can lead to significant weight loss and major improvements in health.

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
Lettuce
Mustard Greens
Parsley
Spinach
Tomato
Turnips

Proteins:

All fish
Shellfish
Any game meat
Eggs
Lean pork
Lean beef
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:

Apple
Avocado
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Nectarine
Peaches
Plums
Cranberries
Grapes
Melon (all types)
Lemon
Pomegranate
Rhubarb
Watermelon
Apricot
Banana
Cherries
Pears
Figs
Kiwi
Lime
Coconut (also considered a fat).

I have only listed the most popular.

Acceptable legumes:

Sweet potato
Pumpkin
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.


10 reasons why you're not losing fat number 7: You don't eat after 8pm

The theory that you should not eat in the evening gained popularity a few years ago when some nutritionists claimed eating at night results in weight gain because you don't do any physical activity afterwards to burn off the calories - they will be stored as fat while you sleep. In fact, it doesn't really matter when you eat so long as you consume the right number of calories over a day. Food is digested and metabolised in the same way, whatever time it's eaten.

Perhaps this tactic seems to work because most of what we eat at night is comfort food - it's the classic time to slump in front of the TV and nibble on crisps or chocolates.

How often have you found yourself overeating carrot sticks? Equally, if you set yourself a cut-off time of 8pm the temptation is to overeat before you reach that point, so you may have a larger dinner in an attempt to stave off hunger pangs later on, especially if you've been to the gym after work and your energy and protein levels need replenishing.

There may (and probably will) be times when you shatter the rule by devouring a bumper pack of Kettle Chips at 11pm. That's the trouble with rules - the more you have and the stricter they are, the more likely you are to break them.

You can have an evening snack if you want one - but factor it into your daily calorie allowance. Make sure it does not end up being a food binge.

It's also a good time to cram in an extra portion of fruit. High fibre fruit such as apples or porridge are great bedtime snacks, as they fill you up and help you sleep well. A little tip is to eat pickles or gherkins (if you like them).


Very Punny

I'm addicted to brake fluid - but I can stop any time I like.

It takes a lot of balls to golf like me.

I used to be addicted to soap. But I'm clean now.

What do you call a magic dog? Labracabrador.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.




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