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training Archives - Crawley Fitness

Lumpini Muay Thai Fighters Session

By | Martial Arts Clubs in Crawley, Muay Thai | No Comments

A short clip of Paulo’s Muay Thai Fighter’s class which runs every Wednesday Night.

A nice mix of people in the class, a few novices through to season A Class fighters (Professional) who fight with knees and elbows (full Muay Thai rules) to the head and even a couple of retired fighters in there too 😉

We try to make sure you learn from sparring. It’s not a fight (if you want to have a fight, then just have a fight) but sparring should be a time to learn how to apply your techniques.

To learn how to read your opponent, to time your shots and fight with your brain, not just brawn.

Then you get better and you don’t get injured (which would mean you can’t fight and if you’re a pro-fighter it means you don’t get paid and don’t get to eat!)

Personally, I think everyone should spar. Regardless of ability. We don’t make people spar but even if you “play spar” super-light you’re going to learn. You’re going to become technically better and you’re going to be able to use your techniques for real.When you learn new techniques, when you shadow box, hit the bags or pads then you hit them the same way you hope to spar and one day fight (if that’s your goal).

Everything is consistent.

You train how you fight, so you fight how you train.

It makes Muay Thai a “live” martial art because you’re not up against a compliant partner, they’re resisting and that’s what keeps the art and the sport real.

If you’re interested in learning Muay Thai you can find out more by clicking HERE.

Four Steps to Permanent, Sustainable Fat Loss

By | Exercise and Fitness, Weight Loss | No Comments

Most people approach Fat Loss wrong.

In fact they do it backwards.

Then wonder why things aren’t changing.

You see most people think it’s all about exercise.  They think getting down the gym three or four times per week will cut it.  And while it will help — it’s the thin end of the wedge.  Getting to the gym isn’t where the magic happens and it isn’t the reason weight just “falls off”.

Let me give you an example:

You train three times per week and you burn 400 calories per session (… forget all those claims about burning over 1,000 calories per hour because it’s usually non-sense).  Well that’s a grand total of 1200 calories expended per week.

Break that down and 1,200 calories per week is 171 calories per day in the red.

Here’s the best bit…

That’s roughly two and half digestive biscuits.

So if you have a sweet tooth and like a little treat with your lunch or a dessert in the evening you could smash that 171 calories just by tidying up what you eat.

Take the sugar out of your tea, get rid of processed foods and sauces.

It’s not rocket science (… although if you need a gentle nudge in the right direction we can help)

It’s a lot easier and lot a cheaper to just tidy up your diet than it is to haul your butt down the gym and push yourself once you get there.

And that’s what I mean when I say most people approach weight lose backwards.

They think about the exercise first and foremost… treating it like it’s some kind of magic cure or worse still they actually go and look for a magic cure (… cue slimming tablets and shakes).  Which is the single worst thing you can do if permanent change is what you’re after.

Our approach here is different.

Sure we believe in diet and we believe in exercise but we prefer to say eating and training.

Because you’re going to continue to eat (… and not diet) for the rest of your life.

And exercise is random.  Training has a purpose.  There is an end goal and milestones you can celebrate along the way.

Our personal trainers have  a four step approach to fat loss:

  1. Eat right
  2. Train right
  3. Social support
  4. Accountability

Hopefully you understand 1 and 2 a little better now.

It’s about eating and training.  We can help you with that.

Social support, well that’s the reason weight watchers and slimming world are so popular.  It’s a group of people who get together and support each other.  Then weigh in weekly (… before binging and hiding the evidence) for the pat on the back.

And accountability.

Well that’s about having to look someone in the eye and tell them you’ve hand a sneaky chocolate bar (… or been really good and getting  a pat on the back).

Accountability is where you have someone who’s going to be waiting for you in the gym at  a specific time on a specific day where you’re going to make sure your food has been in check for the week (… we recommend all our clients use a food diary) before working through your training programme (… the programme that makes you look and feel great, not just ‘skinny’).

There you have it.

Fat loss in four easy steps — with a little bit of an ‘a-ha’ moment — on why you can’t out train a bad diet.

If you’d like to have a chat to one of our trainers to find out how you can kick start your new lifestyle click here to find out more.

How to get in the best shape of your life in 2015…

By | Exercise and Fitness, Gym Crawley, Personal Training Crawley, Weight Loss | No Comments

It’s that time of year when people are setting goals, making (and breaking) New Year’s resolutions and keeping their fingers crossed for a BIGGER better year than they had in 2014.

And as cheesy as the “New Year New You!” slogans might sound and as cliched as they might be…

There really is nothing bad about sitting back, reflecting and doing something to make 2015 a better year than lasts BUT you need to do something more than just reflect, think and make a note in your mind.

That’s where folk fall down and that is why they fail.

Instead of doing, they think.

Instead of acting, they talk.

Which all leads to 2015 (potentially) being the exact same as 2014.

So What’s the Solution?

It’s super-simple (like most solutions are) and there is no magic secret or push button solution.

All you got to do is Turn Up and start doing something.

Forget thinking and making a resolution to lose a stone, two stone or 5 stone in 2015.

Instead set yourself a goal to sort your diet out and eat healthy.  It all starts with your eating (let’s not call it a diet) and making sure you make long term, permanent and sustainable plans that mean you lose weight and keep it off.  Eating that doesn’t just help you look better it makes you perform better too. Eat good, look good and feel good!

Instead of thinking about getting to the gym four, five or six days a week just make a small commitment to getting there twice a week.  Then turn it into three days and add a little walk here and there.  Start with a small, simple change and then scale it.

Lastly (but arguably the most important) is social support and accountability which is why personal training is so popular.  It’s not just about eating and training… it’s about eating, training, having support and someone to tell (or confess to) when you’ve eaten that bar of Dairy Milk or been a little naughty and eaten an entire pizza for desert.

Social support and accountability are perhaps two of the biggest and most neglected factors ‘we’ forget when it comes to losing weight and getting in shape.

You Must Start Now…

Losing weight and getting in the best shape of your life is simple.

Turn up, do the work and keep it consistent.

That means eating right and training right.

Keep it realistic, keep it sustainable and keep it consistent.

Procrastination is a dream killer which is one of the reasons our fitness classes and personal training sessions are so popular.  You book in and you turn up.  Then let the pace and energy of the class pull you along and get your body moving!

That’s the first step sorted.

The next biggie is finding social support and accountability.

Finding people (ideally a partner or spouse) who’ll get behind and help you out when times get touch, when you need to be kicked off the sofa or to stop you raiding the fridge when late night boredom sets in and you start to eat for the sake of it.

Social support and accountability are big factors.  Even if you want to ‘go it alone’ find someone, even if it’s online who’ll help you out and be there for you. Fact.

And that really is it.

It’ll get you in the fittest and best looking shape of your life and it’s something our team has been doing for close to 20 years now.

How to Burn Even More Calories without Exercising More

By | Crawley BJJ, Personal Training Crawley, Weight Loss | No Comments

Like it or loathe it — weight loss is largely down to creating a negative energy balance.

Sure — a calories isn’t just a calories — 300 calories from donuts are very different from 300 calories of vegetables but ultimately if you want to lose weight you have to create a negative energy balance.

Less in.  More out.

While most of us attribute that to exercise and diet — move more and eat less — there are two other very simple, very important factors that will make a difference.

The first is N.E.A.T or non-exercise related thermogenesis.

How to Increase Your N.E.A.T.

N.E.A.T. is burning calories that are not from exercise, eating (yes, your burn calories from eating) and sleeping (yep, you burn calories even when you sleep).

It might be the fidgeting you do at work, taking the stairs instead of the lift and moving around more.

While the amount of calories burned from N.E.A.T. might not sound like a majority factor remember exercise is often as little as 15-30% of your daily calories needs.

A small increase in your daily N.E.A.T. can and will have an impact.

And often it’s N.E.A.T. that makes naturally skinny people, skinny.

Increase Your T.E.F.

T.E.F. is the Thermogenic Effect of Food and can account for 10% of your daily calorie expenditure.

In a nutshell the food you eat can and does impact the calories you burn, with protein having the highest T.E.F.

So in a nutshell, eat more protein and you’ll burn more calories.

One of the biggest problems with Western Diets is that we all eat too many carbohydrates and not enough protein.

So most folk don’t eat enough protein (you should try to squeeze in lean protein at every meal, including breakfast) which will a) make you feel fuller b) ensure your protein needs are met and c) help you burn more calories.

That’s what you call a win-win-win situation!

Do You Want to Start Burning More Calories?

If you’re serious about losing weight — and more specifically fat — then the surest ways to do this is by:

  1.  Increasing your metabolism
  2. Increasing your N.E.A.T.
  3. Increasing your T.E.F.
  4. Exercising more
  5. And eating the right kind foods

Five things our training and nutritional suggestions can and will help you improve.

To find out more about our daily fitness classes or personal training for weight loss fill in the enquiry form on this page or call our gym on 01293 552 511.

We’re a friendly bunch, here to help and when you get in touch you’ll be making the first and most important step to changing how you look, feel and perform.

See you in the gym (hopefully)!