The Importance of Movement Prep

July 18, 2012 by ·

Most people will concede (often reluctantly) that warming up prior to training is important.  Yes it’s a very boring topic and we’d all rather walk it to the gym and just get on with it, but if you’re serious about staying healthy and getting results in the gym, you need to embrace the warm up.

Warming up has important physiological and psychological benefits.  Physiologically (body) a warm up will increase the heart rate,  loosens the joints and increases blood flow to the muscles. Psychologically (mind) it gives us five to ten minutes to prepare ourselves mentally for what we’re about to do.  For some people this is visualisation etc, for others its an opportunity to get the last of the chit-chat out of the system before they focus fully on their workout!

Previously a warm up might have consisted of  5-10 minutes of an increasing speed on a treadmill followed by a couple of token arm circles and a few cheeky leg swings (or worse, the old ‘arm across the chest stretch’ that nobody ever really needed to be doing).  Not any more, we need to be more savvy…..

The ‘Warm up’ has now been replaced with the rather ingeniously branded  ‘Movement Prep’ (MP).  MP is an approach which still provides us with the afore mentioned physiological and psychological benefits but prepares the body with a more focussed and more specific approach which will mobilise the joints, release soft tissue (muscles etc), stretch out any tight muscles, activate any underactive muscles, and get the body moving in the multiple patterns in which it is about to set forth.

Now there are many ways to go about movement prep, all of which will work for different populations and their differing goals.  Our approach at W10 is four-fold and we follow the following sequence:

  • Release
  • Inhibit
  • Activate
  • Integrate
Release
First off, we want to mobilise and realign soft tissue (muscles etc).  The goal here is to prepare the tissues for the stresses we’re about to put them under, release any tender points and scan for any potential trigger points (painful spots).  For this we use the foam roller – something you could liken to a massage therapist’s palm.
Our W10 current foam roller flow hits IT band (side of leg), vastus lateralis (front of thigh), VMO/Adductors (inside thigh), calves, hamstrings (back of thigh), glutes (backside), thoracic spine (upper back) and lats (under arm).

We follow the foam roller work with some trigger pointing which we do with hockey or cricket balls.  The goal here is to more specifically target any tender areas with the smaller (and thus more concentrated) surface area of the ball.  This could be described as being akin to the massage therapist’s elbow.
Typically we hit the glutes, plantar fascia (under side of the foot), calves and pecs (chest).
Note: Both foam rolling and trigger pointing are often sore.  Sore is fine (likely good), very painful is too much.
Inhibit
A lot of the people who train at our gym spend most of their day seated and their posture and muscular system reflects this.  People very often present with adaptively shortened and/or overactive muscles (often referred to as ‘strong’, although not always the case) which need to be stretched out or ‘inhibited’ so that they don’t take over during movement and allow their underactive counterparts get to do their bit (see below).
These muscles are typically the neck extensors (back of neck), upper traps (neck/shoulders), pecs (chest), lats, hip flexors (front of pelvis), hamstrings (behind the knee) and calf muscles and we inhibit these.  We do this by stretching them out.
Activate

Where there are overactive muscles there will be under active ones (often referred to as ‘weak’, although not always the case) .  The goal once we’ve inhibited the overactive, or strong, muscles is to activate their dormant, under active or weak, cousins so that when we come to move they have been awoken and are ready to take up their share of the slack.

These muscles often work in opposites so we often see underactive neck flexors (front of neck), rhomboids/scapular retractors (mid back), shoulder eternal rotators (back of shoulder), mid/lower traps (mid back), and glutes.

Integrate

Once we’ve released the soft tissue, inhibited the overactive muscles and activated the sluggish ones, we want to ingrate our re-wired system into movement or patterns in which it is going to be exposed, typically with bodyweight exercises.

The bottom line is that we don’t move as much or as well as we used to and a good quality warm up/MP is probably the difference between good structural health and effective workouts and otherwise.  And if you’re not doing it, you should be.

Everyone has different requirements but apply these principles and see how you get on.  You’ll get better results from your training and your joints will definitely thank you for it!

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W10 Food Pyramid – 10 Steps to Success

June 27, 2012 by ·

Our W10 Food Pyramid is now available for download in a new nutrition section on our website (download it here).  This pyramid is the framework around which we eat at W10 and the basis upon which we offer nutritional advice to our members.

We think it’s a pretty solid nutritional model.  It’s simple, easy to understand and applicable to all but the most extreme of creatures (bodybuilders, man-orexics and so on).  It is important to recognise that it is NOT intended to be a ‘diet’, it’s a set of principles or guidelines which people should adopt and adapt according to their personal requirements.  The ‘green list’ foods are our staple foods, the ‘black list’ are our ‘eat in moderation’ choices and the red list includes all of the foods we would suggest that you steer clear of for the most part.  Pretty straight forward we think you’ll agree.

As with all things the key lies with the interpretation and implementation of these guidelines or principles.  There is still (as there should be) a huge requirement for ownership on the part of every individual who decides to use the pyramid as a template.  We’re not selling the latest fly-by-night, one-size-fits-all, diet farce, this is simply how we should eat – we just need to modify it to suits us individually.  Perhaps above all else, we need to apply common sense.

W10 Food Pyramid  + Individual Requirements + Common Sense = A Results Based Nutritional Programme.

Just because nuts are in the green section for example, doesn’t mean that eating 300g of cashews for dinner is a good idea (whilst we don’t advocate calorie counting for most people, calories do count, and that’s nearly 18oo of them right there, just from nuts).  Similarly, half a kilo of oven roasted chipped sweet potatoes – also on the green list – isn’t going to help (most) people morph from the wrong side of chunky to cover model either. Common sense right?  Right.

You need to consider YOUR goals, YOUR body type, YOUR likes and dislikes (to a non-sabotaging extent), and you need to eat according to YOUR requirements.

“The W10 Food Pyramid will provide the framework and underlying principles, but you need to ascertain what foods, and combinations of, work for you.”  Me.

The trouble is most of us simply don’t know what ‘works for me’ looks like anymore.  It’s not that we don’t have any common sense (clears his throat), it’s all just gotten very confusing.  And the thing is, the more we read, research and try and work it out, the more confusing it becomes (there’s a lot of charlatans talking some serious BS out there) .

Authors note: If you’re serious about getting good advice and getting in shape, I strongly recommend that you stop reading most glossy magazines, especially those targeting females.  What worked for supermodel X (who endorsed the product) probably won’t work for you and more than likely won’t work for her long term either (watch this space for future endorsements) – I strongly recommend that you don’t just copy it.

But thankfully confusion need not reign.  It need not be that complicated and getting it right is probably much easier than most of us think.  At a basic level it’s quite simple.  In fact, use the W10 Food Pyramid following these ten pointers alongside it and you’ll probably be well on the road to optimal health and physical appearance.

1. Eat protein for breakfast.

There’s is good reason(s) why you keep hearing this.  Primarily it’s about detoxification and immune system function (it’s estimated that the first 30-60g of protein we consume daily are used for these purposes), not necessarily muscles.  It’s also startlingly obvious to me that people who eat breakfast make better food choices throughout the rest of day.

No excuses, do yourself a favour and just get this one ticked off.

2. Stick mainly to the green foods list.

80% or more of your food choices should come from the green list of foods.  There’s good reason why they’re at the base of the pyramid and two thirds or more of the way up.  Embrace the green, get lean.

3. Quinoa and wild rice are the best black list choices.

Many people don’t digest grains and legumes well (bloating, wind, etc) and my personal opinion is that, on the whole, these are best excluded by most.  After a period of elimination, the first (and often only) black list foods that I suggest people introduce back into their diet are quinoa and wild rice.

4. Exclude the foods on the red list completely except one MEAL per week where you can eat whatever you want.

Physiologically speaking re-feeds or ‘cheat meals’ are not really necessary initially, but psychologically speaking they’re a must, but only after an initial period of elimination.  I don’t give direction here, eat the foods you like, but understand that the fatter you are the less indulgent you should be/will get away with.

People stay on track better during the rest of the week once they’ve had their ‘release’ and moreover most people find that after having excluded wheat, diary, gluten and processed foods for a couple of weeks the reintroduction of these foods is enough to give them the stomach upset of all stomach upsets.  Many don’t repeat the same meal.

The jump in calories once per week is actually helpful in accelerating fat loss.

5. Don’t snack

I’m increasingly becoming the ‘anti-snack’.  My experience is that people don’t make good snack choices and are far better off getting all they need nutritionally at meal times.  Intuitively this seems a more sensible approach also – if you need to snack you probably didn’t get your previous meal(s) right.

6. Eat three or four times per day (see above)

All things being equal I think we should eat intuitively.  The issue with intuitive eating is that most of us have terrible intuition when it comes to feeding ourselves.  We’re out of sync and it’s hard to make solid choices when you’re not in sync.

You can argue with me all day long about not having breakfast, but initially it’s a very good idea.  Eat again at lunch, for a third time mid-afternoon (you know, when you get the 3-4pm lull…..) and for the last time at dinner.  A typical schedule might be 7am, 11am, 4pm and 7pm.  Less than three meals doesn’t work for most people and more than four is often totally impractical.

7. No training, no carbs

Carb cycling has become the latest fitness industry buzzword with every Tom, Richard (more likely) and Harry getting regular gym-Jane to count her carbs and eat fluctuating amounts daily.  Deary deary me – no-carb, low carb, slow carb, carb cycle, what next?  Look, we could get into the minutiae here and confuse the b’jesus out of people, but with no good reason.  The premise is simple and is certainly not a new one: allow yourself some more carbs when you train hard.  And you should eat most of said carbs in the meal you have AFTER training (referred to as the window of opportunity).

So the days you DON’T train, you stick to Category A vegetables, concentrated protein sources and natural fats and oils – eg Chicken and vegetables stir-fired in coconut oil.  The days the you train (hard) allow yourself some more carbs AFTER you’ve worked out, including Category B vegetables and/or some wild rice or quinoa (remember also that when you increase your carbs, you should reduce the fats) – eg salmon fillet with broccoli and sweet potato.  Note: If you’re trying to add mass or are already reasonably lean, you might eat another higher carb meal later in the same day also.

8. Limit fruit

Yes, fruit is ‘good’ for you, but you can definitely have too much of a good thing.  For me it’s pretty simple, the more you train (exercise), the more fruit you need/should eat.

9. Drink water & organic coffee and herbal teas

That’s it.  The exception – after a period of elimination – might be a glass or two of red wine a couple or few times per week (the only issue with wine is the yeast content).

10. Keep a food diary

Tedious, inconvenient and socially compromising granted, but essential.  If you don’t know what works for you, you’ll become increasingly frustrated reading countless blogs like this one.

Also, it’s not for me, I’m old-skool, I like paper – it means I can check to see if it’s been kept in real time rather than retrospectively! – but there’s plenty of good apps these days that make it less of a hassle.

Bear in mind there are times when almost any food will be appropriate for a given person at that given time.  But these pointers in conjunction with our W10 Food Pyramid might well be all the guidance some people need.  Give them a go consistently and see how you get on.

 

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The LighterLife side of Life

May 30, 2012 by ·

On Monday night this week we did something that we would previously have vowed never to do when we collaborated with LighterLife to do a workshop for the male members of our local branch.

Now for those who don’t know what LighterLife is about you can find details on their website www.lighterlife.com.  In a nutshell (apologies to LighterLife if I do not describe the program in it fullest), they help people lose weight quickly through radical through nutritional intervention.  Their brand is huge and they have thousands of people following their programs globally.

On Monday morning we posted our proposed involvement on our Twitter feed and within an hour I had three personal email messages asking me what the <insert profanity> I was doing.  Here’s an excerpt from one of these:

 “The words Lighterlife fill me with dread, take me back to times of horrible mental anguish.   If anyone is doing a sole source program, I’d be amazed if they could manage exercise, and introducing exercise at the end of a regime, when weight is lost, but also skin is hanging off you and muscle has been eaten away is just the hardest way round to approach the issue”.

Now I can vouch for the fact that the person who sent me this is not some neurotic lunatic looking for an excuse to be melodramatic; she was genuinely concerned, presumably because she did not want people to go through what she and some of her friends have been through.  (If I wasn’t already aware, I was certain that we were dipping our toes into some pretty dicey water as far as some people were concerned!)

Our involvement came about after the local LighterLife counselor contact me to do a workshop for them.  (Yes, they contacted us, so credit where it is undoubtedly due).  One of our members had been through their program and had said nice things about us.

We’re respected gym with (I perceive) a reputation for giving good advice and influencing people to get healthier, stronger and fitter.  But despite our attempts to persuade our member otherwise, she signed up to the LighterLife program a few months ago.  And her journey has persuaded us that rather than just ruck up and posture indignantly, we can (and should) actually work with and help people in a similar position.

We managed to persuade our member not to do the ‘LighterLife Total’ (shakes and a snack bar only) program, convincing her that the ‘Lite’ program would work for her (two shakes, one snack bar, and one meal) – which it did.  She was determined to do it come what may, so that was a result for us.  Along the way we also helped her with some supplementation (additional amino acids etcetera) that would allow her continue with her personalised resistance (strength training) program and would go some way to ensuring that she maintained her lean mass – which it also did.

Note: Most diets that elicit substantial weight loss actually strip you of metabolically and structurally essential lean tissue and do not so much for actual fat loss.  Yes you’ll lose some fat, but you’ll lose a greater proportion of lean mass.  Not good news, especially when you go back to advisable long term eating habits (did anyone say rebound weight gain?)

Our member is no longer doing LighterLife.  She has lost the weight that she wanted to lose.  She has maintained her lean mass (almost all of it).  She trains three times per week consistently.  Her eating habits are pretty good.  She’s stronger.  She’s leaner.  And she’s happier.  And at the time of writing (five months after finishing the program) there has been no rebound weight gain.  All in all, I’d say it has worked.

All things being equal I’d rather people didn’t do the program and followed our W10 Food Pyramid, but thats not going to happen – they’re going to do it.  And whilst we don’t necessarily agree with the LighterLife approach and our approach is in not similar, I do accept that we share a common goal – which is to help people get healthier, lose weight and overall live a better quality of life. I’ve now also seen first hand that we can help people through the program ensuring that they get the outcome they want, without compromising themselves further down the line.  In other words, we can work with them to make sure that they keep the weight off and they never have to go through the program again (something LighterLife say is important to them also).

Yes, it would be easier for us to sit here and criticise LighterLife and their approach (as I have previously done), but that’s not going to help anyone.  What they do gets people the outcome they want and therefore people are going to do it, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks and advises.  The answer is not for us to distance ourselves from it but rather recognize that its going to happen and work with people to ensure the best possible outcome.  So that’s what we’re doing.

Note: Before the cynics amongst you pipe up and shout about the potential commercial benefits, we haven’t been paid (nor do we intend to ask for) a penny!

Our first workshop (a nutrition and exercise Q&A/open forum) with the male group was very well received and we’ve now been asked back to do two more for the female groups in the next week or so.  I’ve also had two personal email messages from attendees asking follow up questions – all good.

In bigger picture terms, if it helps people through the program, it works for LighterLife.  If it helps people chose a less radical program and/or avoid the rebound weight gain, it works for us (and them).  And if it gets people both the short and long term outcome they want, then it works for them.

Let’s see how things progress.

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Get Enough Sleep to Get Lean For Summer

May 16, 2012 by ·

Guest post by Charles Poliquin on the importance of sleep and how it can help you lose (or gain!) body fat:

“Get enough sleep to lose weight for summer—you’ll improve cardiovascular health too!

Getting adequate rest every night is one of the simplest and most dramatic ways to improve body composition quickly. If you make one change to get lean for summer, make it a habit to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night by establishing a consistent sleep schedule.

I guarantee that with adequate rest you will improve body composition and just feel all around better.”

Click here to read the full article>>

 

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Is Your Face Cream making You Fat?

May 11, 2012 by ·

About half of our members of W10 Performance are women, most of whom are on a quest to lose body fat, increase muscle tone, have more energy and feel fitter.

They come to us fully expecting to address exercise, nutrition and hydration, but they are less prepared when we get into some more involved areas and further down the line suggest that their choice of cosmetics might, or is likely to be, influencing how much and where they lose their fat from.

Well, sorry ladies, it’s true, your favourite cream may be contributing to your frustrating lack of fat loss.  It stands true for men also, but men generally use fewer products and are much easier to convince when it comes to switching…. most of the time.

Now before I go on, I should highlight a couple of things (if for no other reason than to cover my derrière)

  1. I’m no expert in this area and I urge you to treat anything that I have to say on the subject with a healthy dose of scepticism. And,
  2. I have no ties with the EWG and I am not or cannot vouch for the efficacy of their research.

It’s a fact that most modern cosmetics are riddled with a host of dubious synthetic ingredients, which would horrify us if we realised that we were essentially ‘eating’ them through our skin. Chemicals are getting into our bloodstream from all angles: Creams and lotions through the skin, sprays and powders inhaled, lipsticks eaten, eye make up absorbed through the eyes (now that’s some thought) and so on. We’re being bombarded with toxic chemicals and in most women’s cases via several products that they use every day.

Yes, there are some regulations in place, but it might be fair to say that they are not as tight as they could be. For example, some ingredients that are banned, can actually be included if the manufacturers can make a strong enough case that they cannot ‘reasonably’ be removed.  Let’s just say that cosmetics represent big business (I saw five billion quoted somewhere) and wherever there are sunscreen covered limbs in the sea, sharks will come to feed.

The implications of this are wide ranging, and personally I’m convinced very relevant for long-term health.  And I think we’re talking severe hormonal disruption that is having a significant impact of many people’s lives.

BUT, if we’re talking fat loss, and as a Biosignature Practitoner I use Charles Poliquin’s Biosignature Modulation as a reference, excess chemicals or toxins means we’re talking accumulated fat around the hips and thighs.

CP puts forward that where you store your fat is an indication of your hormonal profile, and that when you know this, you can use certain interventions to effectively spot reduce – or lose fat from a particular place.  In other words, you can target the troublesome fat on your thighs by doing certain things.

Aside: The jury is out in some camps about the validity of the system, but I like it.  I don’t use it exclusively but I think there’s plenty of principles put forward that make a lot of sense – and more importantly, work in practice.

Given what I currently think I know my own conclusions are these:

  1. We Londoners are toxic people (from a purely physiological perspective that is!)
  2. Chemical toxins are most readily stored in lower body fat – hence why we very rarely measure a pair of lean legs when caliper testing people first time around
  3. We can reduce lower body fat by reducing our toxic load
  4. Cosmetics are seriously implicated when it comes to toxicity
  5. If we limit our exposure to toxins from cosmetics we’ll take a significant step to reducing fat on our thighs

To try and make my point about how many chemicals we’re being exposed to in the name of vanity I’ve used an article in this weekends Sunday Times (Style Magazine) which listed the current most popular cosmetic products as voted for by the readers.  This is particularly useful because we know that this means that these products are amongst the best sellers and ones being used by many of us every day.

The article listed each product by category and I’ve taken the liberty of running five of the ‘best rated’ products through the Environmental Working Group’s database - http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/company.php?comp_id=3604 - a database which looks at all of these products, lists their ingredients, and highlights their potential risks.  It then goes on to give the product a rating from zero to ten – 0-3 being low risk, 4-6 being moderate concern and 7-10 being the most concerning.

Personally, I don’t use many cosmetics, but where I would/do I would try and use products that were rated zero, and I certainly wouldn’t use anything rated above a three.

You’ll see that none of the products score in the low concern range, with the lowest product rated at four. 

Best Skincare Brand

Brand: Clinique

Product: Dramatically Different moisturizing Lotion

Rating: 5

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/265570/Clinique_dramatically_different_mositurizing_lotion/

It lists high concerns for endocrine (hormonal) disruption, organ system toxicity and irritation to skin, eyes or lungs.  Moderate concerns fare listed for biochemical or cellular level changes.

Best Body Product

Brand: Palmers Cocoa Butter Lotion

Product: Body Gloss Lotion

Rating: 8

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=palmers+cocoa+butter+lotion

There are several Palmers Cocoa Butter products listed with lowest one getting a rating of five.  The Body Gloss Lotion scores highest with a rating of 8.  This showed a low to moderate risk of cancer, a high risk of developmental and reproductive toxicity and a moderate to high level of allergies and immunotoxicity.  Listed under other high concerns are endocrine (hormonal) disruption, irritation to the skin, eyes or lunges and biochemical or cellular level changes.  There were moderate concerns listed also for neurotoxicity and organ system toxicity.

Best Eye Cream

Brand: Nivea Visage

Product: Nivea Visage Q10 Anti Wrinkle Refreshing Eye Roll On – Not listed.

Substitute: Nivea Visage Q10 Anti Wrinkle Reducer Crème

Rating: 4

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/231454/Nivea_Visage_Q10_Advanced_Wrinkle_Reducer_Eye_Creme%2C_SPF_4/

The cream version was listed and scored four overall, with moderate concerns for developmental and reproductive toxicity and allergies and immunotoxicity.  Other high concerns listed for neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, and irritation to the skin, eyes or lungs. Moderate concerns for biochemical or cellular level changes.

Best Womens Classic Fragrance

Brand: Chanel

Product: Chanel No 5

Rating: 7

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/130609/Chanel_No_5_Eau_De_Toilette/

High concerns were listed for allergies and immunotoxicity.  Other high concerns were highlighted for endocrine (hormonal disruption) and biochemical or cellular level changes.  Moderate concerns for neurotoxicity and other system toxicity.

Best Luxury Buy – Over £50

Brand: Clarins

Products:  Clarins Super Restorative Decollete and Neck Concentrate  - Not listed

Substitute: Clarins upper Restorative Total Eye Concentrate

Rating: 5

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/58447/Clarins_Super_Restorative_Total_Eye_Concentrate/

Moderate risk listed for developmental and reproductive toxicity and moderate to high risk of allergies and immunotoxicity.

So whats the take home point I’m trying to get across?

I’m suggesting that our cosmetic products are contributing to our sub-optimal health and are potentially making us or keeping us fat by overloading us with chemical toxins.  I’m also suggesting that this can manifest itself as fat stored around the thighs.

And what am I suggesting as a course of action?

I‘m suggesting that you check out what is actually in your cosmetic products and, best case, switch to products with a rating of zero.  Worst case, switch to products with a rating of three or under.

Am I suggesting that this will make everyone’s thighs supermodel-esque?

No.  But it combined with other things like eating organic foods, avoiding plastics, eliminating tap and bottled water, switching toxic household cleaning products, etc etc etc, it will certainly help.

How do your products stack up?

You might also find these top tips for picking safer products useful.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/top-tips-for-safer-products/

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May 2012 Jeans Challenge

April 2, 2012 by ·


The date for our next Jeans Challenge has been set for the 7th May 2012 and we’re getting excited.  We’re at nearly half capacity already and this is already shaping up to be the best one yet!

The schedule is as the previous two.  It works, why change it right?

You’re looking at total of four sessions per week for eight weeks, made up of two Personal Training sessions and two Small Group Metabolic Circuit sessions (or more if appropriate) each week.  Not any easy schedule granted, but one that is well worth the effort for those who can commit to it!

Nutrition is of course an integral part of the program again and we will be incorporating our 14-day Re-boot program and our new for this Jeans Challenge we’ll also be including our 14-day Amino Cleanse.  Nutrition is probably the toughest element of the program – we’d all rather be tucking into pasta and vino! – but everything will be laid out for you and you will be told exactly what to eat throughout – all you’ve got to do is stick to it!

This time around we’re also excited to be working with Lily Simpson from The Detox Kitchen who will be working with us to make life even easier by offering the exact foods you need delivered fresh, daily to your front door (samples menus etc coming soon).  You don’t have to think about it; just eat that days menu knowing that it’s exactly what you need to compliment your training and to get you the results you want!

Perhaps the most powerful thing about the Jeans Challenge is the support you’ll get throughout – you’ll never feel on your own. Throughout the eight weeks you’ll receive the support of the W10 Personal Trainers and you’ll get all the social support, encouragement and inspiration that comes with being part of a group of like minded women.  If you’ve got the motivation, you can’t fail!

We’ll do all of your initial assessments and measurements when you start out and we’ll keep you updated and motivated with regular re-assessments throughout your journey.  You’ll see results in the first week and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes!

Click here for more information>>

As with previous Jeans Challenges numbers will be capped at fifteen.  Contact us now for more information and register your place with a 50% deposit.

 

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12 Reasons You’re Not Losing Fat

February 1, 2012 by ·

'Whole' grain or not, they're not going to help most people when it comes to losing body fat!

Have a read of the 12 Reasons You’re Not Losing Body Fat guest blog by Jason Ferruggia which we posted on our Facebook page.

It’s a really good overview of the common mistakes A LOT of people are making when it comes to fat loss.

We’ll worth a read…..

 

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W10 on The Luxury Channel

January 19, 2012 by ·

“The bottom line is that we want everyone who walks through the door to leave here healthier, stronger, fitter and more educated about nutrition and fitness.”

Read our recent review on the Luxury Channel>>

“W10 is a gym with the sole intention of self-improvement through knowledge, technique and pure determination.  In three months I learnt more about my body, food, nutrition, exercise and mental toughness than I ever had before. Combining food diaries, intolerance tests and background medical checks with structured workout routines that are designed to enhance your body to the maximum, making W10 Performance a leader in its field. There is no pretence, no bank of TV sets on MTV or Sky Sports – this is a gym to be used, and you are a diamond in the rough ready to be”.

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W10 in todays Mail Online

January 12, 2012 by ·

"So yes, at the end of the six weeks, I did get what I wanted. I got into my skinniest jeans, could see my jaw line for the first time in years and dropped from a size 14 to a size 12".

It seems that exercising at W10 not only gets you in shape, it also makes you a better person….. not sure that is true of us all!

Check out our mention in todays Daily Mail online>>

Ps. Great reference to our Jeans Challenge also.

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Metabolic Circuit Only Membership

December 5, 2011 by ·

Starting a new gym program in January? Rapid fat loss, strength gains and increased fitness anybody?

We’re now into the final week of our current Jeans Challenge and the ladies are nearly over the finish line. (Our next Challenge is not now scheduled until April 2012 – see here for more details). Whilst the novelty of eating ‘clean’ for the most part might have well and truly worn off (and with it coming the odd dietary indiscretion!), the training has been consistent from all of our Challengers, and they’re seeing the results of their hard work.

We’re still putting the guys through four sessions; two of our personalised Results Based Fitness (RBF) programs, designed specifically for each individual according to their needs, complimented by two Metabolic Circuit sessions each week.  The RBF programs serve to make the guys stronger and more structurally balanced, and generally set the foundation for the Metabolic Circuits, which then act as a serious fat loss vehicle!

The Metabolic Circuits have proven very popular.  In fact, for the first time we’ve opened these sessions up to all of our members, and there has been call from all quarters to keep these going as part of the gym timetable.  So we’re going to do exactly that.  (Far be it from us not to give in to the cries of the masses!).

These sessions will continue to be included as part of our All Access Membership, but starting from January 2012 we will be offering a Metabolic Circuit Only Membership.  So, for anyone who feels they either don’t need or don’t want all of the benefits of our All Access Membership, but still want to experience the fitness and fat loss benefits of our Metabolic Circuit sessions, you can now do exactly that with a Metabolic Circuit Only Membership.

Yep, thats right – for the same, or less than, than the cost of a big-box gym membership you can now have unlimited access to multiple weekly sessions of what is probably the most effective fat loss and fitness exercise program around – for both men and women.  Sounds good to me.

See here for more details on our Metabolic Circuit Only Membership>>

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