YOGA ATHLETE

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Secret discounts!

If you're quick & quiet, you'll be able to sneak off with this amazing discount on the BodyQuest group classes!

The offer is valid for the classes from the 3^rd of November 2014 until 21^st of December 2014. That's 7 full calendar weeks – pay £126 (cash in advance) and save £42!

That's only £6 a class, and if you do this, we'll throw in Tuesday the 23^rd of December's kettlebell class in FREE!

All payments must be made in cash, in full, by the 8^th November 2014 to qualify.

There are 3 classes a week at BodyQuest Kettlebell Gym - 2 kettlebell classes and 1 circuit class. The kettlebell classes are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7pm, and the circuit class is Saturday mornings at 8.15am. All classes are £8 per person.

If you are new to kettlebells, you need to contact us to book in, and you will need to arrive no later than 30min early (6.30pm) for tuition on using the kettlebells. The Saturday circuit class is getting more and more popular with the awesome energy that Kirsty delivers, you're set up perfectly for the weekend!

There are 12 classes in the month of November, and 10 classes in December (before Christmas). That's a sh!tload of exercise between now and Christmas that could make a huge difference to the usual Christmas 'bulge'.... I guarantee you that if you attended those 22 classes, plus made 2 changes to your nutrition, you would be amazed at the difference in your body in just 8 weeks! When making changes to your nutrition; look for the one or two changes you can make that will have the biggest impact. Here are some examples:

Cut out sugar - this includes soft drinks, and the usual junk like chocolate, ice cream, cakes, biscuits, etc

Cut out soft drinks - if you're a heavy consumer of soft drinks this is great change to make

Cut out anything with food colouring in - you'll be surprised....

Cut carbs - especially eliminating bread and pasta (maybe even rice & potatoes too)

Consider cutting out dairy. A few weeks will tell you if there's a difference and whether it's worth adding back in or not.

Cut out snacks between meals - more challenging than you may realise, and don't make the mistake of increasing meal quantity to make up for it!

So there you have it. 22 classes from November to Christmas. Attending all of them will make a big difference, but are you will to step out of your comfort zone, and make it a priority?

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Personal coaching can help you achieve the results you desire, as well as giving you the necessary effective tools you need to keep striving forwards, to keep changing and progressing on your journey.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.
Please visit our website: ALEXKAY

Trial By Fire

My trial is by Fire. What is yours?

(Trail By Fire is a clubbell workout – 100 double swipes, 100 mills, 100 hammer swings. The swipes are 100 doubles (both arms at the same time), the mills are 100 in each hand (done separately) and the hammer swings are 50 in each direction).

7 full weeks remain until Christmas! I am going to be counting them down, as I have set myself a target, a goal, to achieve within that time. Why? Because so many people, most people will slack off in the run up until Christmas, and then wonder what on earth happened. Then the usual hard slog to fix it begins in January, which is twice as hard because of the lapse before Christmas. It invariably ends up as a disappointing failure.

Are you going to be that person, or are you going to be the person who gets a head start on everyone else? NOW is always the time for action! I started a plan 3 weeks ago, but if you didn't, you can start now! 7 weeks is more than enough time to make a habit, and make a change. Think of the difference it will make in January, if you arrive then healthy, fit and strong! You get to make that decision; nobody else, so join me. Do whatever you want to, but start now - set a goal to achieve, formulate a plan to get you there ON TIME and go for it!

If you need help with goal setting and planning, get in touch, book a consultation and together we can make it happen for you!

My First Muscle-Up!

On Monday I performed my first muscle-up. This is when you perform a pull-up, go up and over the bar, and then press yourself further up until your arms are straight and the pull-up bar is at your waistline. The funny thing is, I have not been doing any pull-ups lately. In fact, not really at all since last year. But what I have been doing is working with the clubbells, and also plenty of "movement" and flow drills. This combined with my understanding of the technique required for muscle-ups, allowed me to perform one just on a passing whim to try it.

When you focus on a holistic approach to your training; you develop certain things. The ability to move well, proprioception and the ability to properly engage tension in your body to deliver strength/power. Kettlebells, clubbells, maces and bodyweight exercises/flows will all develop your ability to move well, which helps with proprioception (the ability to sense how your body is positioned and to control it effectively). Lifting heavy weights with correct technique will teach your body how to properly engage tension and alignment to deliver force. This means that you can getting strong at one thing, and your general ability to be strong at something else will improve.

So what does this mean to you? Train your body to move and to move well. More isn't better, better is better. Lift heavy weights that really challenge you. It's the only for you to properly engage tension and alignment throughout your body. All of this, combined with an ability to FLOW seamlessly from one position to another using correct breathing patterns will give you a healthy, capable body that you can be proud of.

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Is Muscle Soreness Good?

DOMS are the pain you feel in your muscles after strenuous activity. Many people like to gauge the effectiveness of their workouts by the intensity of the DOMS they experience in the following days.
DOMS are believed to be the result of micro tears in the muscle fibres. The eccentric contractions of the muscles (the negative phase, or the lowering of the weight during the exercise) is more responsible for DOMS than the concentric (positive phase, or lifting of the weight during the exercise). DOMS also result from more 'time under tension', or longer durations of exercise, or slower tempo in exercising. DOMS can also result from exercises that you just are not used to; so the good news is that as you 'grease the groove' and become more proficient by practising a movement pattern more often - the less DOMS you will experience.Is it good to have DOMS? Some people believe that muscle soreness is an indication of the effectiveness of their workout, and do not believe they've had a productive workout unless they ache the next day."I had such an awesome workout last week, I could barely move for days!" is something I hear, and I cringe every time I hear it. I want to ask that person if they are stronger, fitter, faster... BETTER in any way, as a result of them aching for days. Just because a workout leaves you in pieces, doesn't mean it has been effective. The test of whether your workouts are effective are by measuring if you are progressing towards your goals as a result of your workouts. Any idiot can design a tough workout that will leave you in pieces for days. I have been on the receiving end of such workouts and all they do is set me back. Do 100 burpees, then sprint 100 meters, then 100 sit ups and repeat constantly for 90 minutes. That will destroy you, but it certain won't progress you. Your workout should always GIVE more than it TAKES. This is why people employ personal trainers or coaches; so that they can reach their goals effectively, instead of just hammering your body every week and getting nowhere as a result.

Establish a method of testing the effectiveness of your workout. If strength is your goal; are you getting stronger? If fat-loss is your goal; are you getting leaner? Just because you're experiencing a great deal of muscle soreness DOESN'T mean you're getting closer to your goals.

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Kettlebell class discount

Remember, you have to pay for BOTH classes for the ENTIRE month to qualify for the discount.

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

QUICK SNACK RECIPE

Here is an awesome recipe for a quick, healthy meal that can serve as breakfast, or maybe even a quick replacement for lunch or dinner if you're pressed for time.

I found this delicious recipe on Mark's Daily Apple, a website I highly recommend you follow. I am a huge advocate of Mark Sisson and his Primal Blueprint. This particular recipe can be found originally through clicking here.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

2 eggs

1 pinch of cinnamon

A splash of vanilla

Butter (for cooking & topping)

1-2 Tbsp crushed pecans

Optional: fruit (berries), heavy cream, additional pecans

Instructions:

Add banana, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and pecans to a medium bowl and mash together; the batter will be a little lumpy.

Grease skillet with butter and turn on stove to a medium heat.

Add the entire mixture to the skillet.

As the mixture cooks, continue to stir and mash.

Once fully cooked, remove from heat and place into a bowl.

Top with butter or optional ingredients.

Enjoy!

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Personal coaching can help you achieve the results you desire, as well as giving you the necessary effective tools you need to keep striving forwards, to keep changing and progressing on your journey.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.
Please visit my website: ALEXKAY