Would you pay £69 to drop a stone in 30 days? These girls did...!

On the subject of fat loss, I'd like to ask you a few questions.

1) Firstly, have you ever declared, 'I've tried everything, but.. ' when it comes to why you looking and feeling good, and maintaining that feeling?

Actually that's the only question I need to ask. If you answered 'yes' to that question, then let's presume you have...

- Followed a training program written specifically for you under the expert guidance of a top coach.

- surrounded yourself with like-minded people, all rooting for you to succeed and behind you week in and week out to ensure healthy diet and exercise become an easy habitual part of your life that you don't even need to think about..

- been a member of a gym where your results are as important to the staff as they are to you...

- had a whole team of experts, with links to leading therapists in every field, there to support you every day, so that even when you have a small niggle there is someone to help you overcome it and keep you on track...

- had access to nutritional support every day, so that you're not just trying to follow along with the latest diet fad, but actually understand what will work for YOU and why - long term...

If you haven't tried all of the above, then why not come and visit us at Phoenix Pro Fitness and experience for yourself what having these resources will do for your results?

For just £69, you get a whole MONTH's worth of top class coaching, gym use, class access, nutritional support and individual programming based on your health, fitness and biomechanical profile.

Would you pay £69 to drop a stone in the next 30 days? These girls did...!





Helen before:



Helen After:


Debs Before:



Debs After:



TO book your 30 day All Access Trial call us today on 01483 801150, or email info@phoenixprofitness.com In 30 days time you could be looking at your own before and after pics!

The Phoenix Pro Team

How to improve your training results by 10% IMMEDIATELY!

When it comes to warming up, most people consider a 5 minute free wheel on the bike or treadmill perfectly apt in raising body temperature and increasing muscle pliability, and to be honest, there's probably no harm in it. This basic-of-all-basic exercise readiness strategies is definitely better than diving straight into high intensity or lifting programmes with no preparation at all.

It strikes me as odd, however, that in a society as time-starved as the one in which we all live, people still waste 5-10 minutes every time they train ambling along in the same plane of motion, potentially adding to already present movement pathologies. Let me give you a comparison.

In my first fitness job as club manager to a small corporate gym, I used to watch people coming in, head straight for the cross trainer and plod away for a few minutes before deeming themselves warm enough to move on to the fun bit of lifting weights. Fair enough.

At Phoenix Pro Fitness, our members walk in and their coach is usually waiting, watching the way they move as they enter the gym, looking for any signs of stiffness or assymetry from a day sat at the office. These, along with any niggles or tightnesses, are addressed right away with appropriate soft tissue work, clavitherapy, foam rolling and static stretching, before each member moves onto our flexibility and mobility series, both of which are on permanent video loops on our gym wall. These circuits, which last around 15minutes, cover the main areas of movement dysfunction so that by the time our members get to their core training and resistance training components, their glutes are activated, their hips are freer and their shoulder and thoracic spine mobility is improved. What does this mean? It means that our members are a) going to move in much more biomechanically sound patterns which means better power output and subsequently better results and b) that they're not going compound existing postural weaknesses or guarding patterns by adding load to those faults and encouraging further compensations.

I think a common mistake many people make is in thinking that aches and pains are just part of getting older, or training, and should be ignored, or 'worked through.' More often than not, this is just a recipe for more of the same, and eventual breakdown.

Obviously if you're not a member of Phoenix or don't train with a suitably qualified coach, you may have to forgo specific treatment at each session, but that doesn't mean you can't significantly improve your warm ups, and consequently performance and results each session.

Below are the exact flexibility and mobility protocols we use at Phoenix Pro Fitness, so please feel free to use them...

Flexibility Circuit



Mobility Circuit



We are dedicated to finding the key to every body's very best..

Charlotte Ord
Owner
Phoenix Pro Fitness

March Madness Offer at Phoenix Pro! Today Only!

Can you believe it's March already?! How CRAZY is that?!

And this can only mean one thing... it's almost summer :) Which also means that it's almost time for us to ditch the winter layers and bare some skin!

If that thought fills you with dread, fear not. For today only we are offering a whopping TEN free personal training sessions (worth £422) when you sign up for our All Access Membership, which includes:

- our thorough goal, lifestyle and nutrition analysis and kinetic chain assessment
- individual programme design designed specifically for your goals (changed every 4-6 weeks)
- 4 fitness coaching sessions per month
- full use of our brand new, state of the art gym
- access to all of our high energy fitness classes

JUST THINK OF THE RESULTS YOU'D ACHIEVE IF YOU HAD PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS SEWN INTO YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP EVERY WEEK!

Not only that, but if you sign up today we'll also give you the choice of a thorough nutrition consultation and diet makeover, or a full body massage!

All Access Membership fee is just £169/month (x 12 months) or £199/month (x3 months)

So, if you're serious about getting in shape for summer, the time to start is now! Pick up the phone and call us today to get your ten free sessions and diet makeover/massage and start seeing serious results - remember this offer is for today only, so us call now 01483 801150!

The Phoenix Pro Fitness Team

Upcoming events at Phoenix Pro Fitness!

To celebrate the fact that Spring is nearly here, and we've been open nearly six months already, we've got a VERY special offer coming your way tomorrow in the name of March Madness, so keep your eyes peeled for our awesome offer tomorrow!

I the meantime, we've got a great schedule of courses coming up to get you in fantastic shape for summer! Below is a summary of what's happening over the next couple of months, with a more detailed description of each below.

Tues March 15th - Kettlebell Bootcamp Level 2 (6 week course)
Sat April 16th - Kettlebell Bootcmap Level 1 (6 week course)
Wed April 20th - Olympic Lifting for Beginners (6 week course)
Sat April 22nd - Precision Nutrition Level 1 (8 week course)


Our ever popular kettlebell bootcamps are already in full swing (get it? :), and to make them even better we're once again splitting the courses into Level 1 (Beginners) and level 2 (Advanced) classes.

The next Level 1 course starts on Saturday April 16th at 10am at our awesome new facility in Godalming. This 6 week course takes place each Saturday and is suitable for anyone who wants to get fit and looking great in a new, dynamic and totally engaging way! Sign up early to avoid disappointment. The course is £59/person.

The next Level 2 course begins on Tuesday March 15th and is suitable for anyone who attended one of kettlebell bootcamps before. As well as teaching you the more advanced kettlebell drills, this high energy, slightly hardcore course will challenge and push you to reach new levels of conditioning and mental toughness. Whilst having a great laugh of course! That's the Phoenix Pro way. The course is £59/person.

Our first Olympic Lifting for Beginners course begins on Wednesday 20th April for 6 weeks. This course is ideal for anyone who takes part in sport and wants to get faster, more agile and more powerful, and thus perform better. It is also suitable for gym bunnies with a good level of fitness who wish to add a new element to their training. Then course will cover step by step technical coaching of the clean, snatch and jerk, as well as the essential strength developing lifts. If you're a keen runner, cyclist, triathlete, footballer, lacrosse player, rugby player etc etc, you NEED to be on this course. The course is £59/person.

Our first Precision Nutrition Level 1 course is currently under way and receiving fantastic feedback. The next course starts on Saturday 23rd April and is open to members and non-members of Phoenix Pro. This totally practical dietary course will teach you the science behind good nutrition and how you can use that knowledge to align your diet with your goals and still enjoy your food. The course is £75/person for 8 weeks and is available online as well as at Phoenix Pro.

For more information on any of the above courses or to book your spot, please contact us as info@phoenixprofitness.com or on 01483 801150

Have a great week!

The Phoenix Pro Fitness Team

www.phoenixprofitness.com

The truth about training for fat loss

There is no doubt that the fast moving world of sport and exercise research combined with 'in the trenches', on the gym floor findings is an exciting place to be for coaches and fat loss seekers alike. New protocols, programs and nutritional strategies come up all the time, and there is a wealth of knowledge available to guide your journey to success if you are so inclined. What can make life difficult, however, is the myriad of conflicting views and ever changing opinions of various experts regarding exercise and nutrition, many of whom will advocate something new every month leaving nothing but confusion in their wake.

There are a number of ways to skin a cat, but if you're looking for fat loss, a good place to start is by taking a look at what stereotypically lean groups do and start applying those techniques to your own lifestyle.

Steady state aerobic exercise has taken some seriously heavy rap from trainers over the past few years, as Tremblay's (1994) landmark study demonstrated that high intensity interval training yielded a nine-fold increase in subcutaneous fat loss than steady state training. However, one look at the standard 'cutting' protocol for bodybuilders, the absolute masters or fat loss, indicates that submaximal exercise certainly plays its part in shedding those unwanted pounds. Indeed, longer stints of endurance exercise provide an effective way of increasing workload and thus energy expenditure, the latter of which being the most essential factor in fat loss. Unlike high intensity intervals, which relies heavily on carbohydrate as opposed to fat utilisation for energy, sub maximal training is a key stimulus for fatty acid oxidation, and thus plays an integral role in fat loss.



Bodybuilders, fitness models and other groups requiring high levels of body leaness often utilise what is known as depleted state training (training whilst fasted, ie. first thing in the morning before breakfast) in order to maximise the proportion of fat oxidised (ie. fatty acids stored in the form of tryglycerols in adipose tissue are mobilised in response to energy demands). In addition to optimising fat utilisation during exercise, depleted state training also upregulates the release of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism. Consequently, as it is dependent on fat rather than carbohydrate, a role for fasted, submaximal, steady state exercise(50-70% VO2 Max)becomes apparent. When utilising depleted state training, care must be taken to avoid muscle catabolism (breakdown) and the associated decline of basal metabolic rate. This can be achieved by increasing protein ingestion.

That's not to say that interval training doesn't play it's part too. Despite the fact that high intensity exercise primarily relies on glycolysis (the breakdown of glucose, a carbohydrate, into pyruvate), and the phosphocreatine system for energy, it nevertheless initiates a much greater Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which is an increased energy requirement post-training. What is interesting is that this energy requirement is greatly contributed to via fat oxidation, meaning that high intensity intervals are, also, great for burning fat. Indeed, professional sprinters, who typically do considerably less overall work during a session than their long distance counterparts, are commonly the leanest athletes around.

Finally, resistance training, or lifting weights, lends itself extremely well to increasing basal metabolic rate and goal attainment providing the goal is fat loss rather than weight loss (muscle mass is considerably denser than fat and thus weighs more despite taking up less surface area). As well as initiating elevated heart rate and having anaerobic fitness gains, muscle gains resulting from resistance training also increases the energy cost of both exercise and recovery, making it a powerful stimulus for fat loss.

Obviously when deciding which fat loss strategy is right for you will depend greatly on your time availability and other goals. If you are a sprinter or thrower for example, steady state training is unlikely to be of use to you due to potentially negative impacts on your power output and anaerobic capacity. The take home message, therefore, is to think carefully about the following three things:

1) what tools you have available to you?
2) what your other goals are and which strategies will align well with them?
3) How much time do you have?

If in doubt, enlist the help of a good coach who will help you establish a program suited to you and your goals.

www.phoenixprofitness.com

Train with the UK Personal Trainer of the Year 2010, wherever you are!

Since winning Personal Trainer of the Year 2010 I've been inundated
with requests from people wanting to train remotely with me, but
with the opening of my awesome new personal
training/fitness club, Phoenix Pro Fitness, in Godalming I haven't been able to take on any more remote trainees due to time restraints.

Well, I bring good news! Now that Phoenix Pro is open and getting
fantastic results our our 'in house' members, I once again have
some spaces for remote trainees.

Our remote training package gives you the opportunity to benefit
from top class coaching and programme design from the comfort of
your own home. Whether you train at a gym near you or in your
living room (or curently not at all!) a regularly progressing
programme, based specifically
on your goals, training history and biomechanics, combined with my
coaching expertise and support, is guaranteed to turbo charge your
fitness levels, boost your sporting performance (or your
performance in the game of life), and improve your health
significantly, not to mention have you looking HOT in time for summer :)

We offer both 3 month and annual remote training packages, both of
which include the following:

- thorough nutritional, lifestyle, biomechanical and health
assessments.
- individual programme design, changed every 4-6 weeks.
- ongoing email support
- full nutritional support to align your diet with your goals and
lifestyle
- our comprehensive Phoenix Pro Fitness Exercise Manual


Our 3 month and 12 month remote training packages are priced at
£49/month and £39/month respectively.

For more information please contact me at info@phoenixprofitness.com

Spaces are limited so if you want to make a big impact on your
fitness, waistline or performance this year without the personal
training price tag, get in touch today!

Have a great day,

Charlotte

Banishing Back Pain...

Yesterday my team and I here at Phoenix Pro Fitness had the
pleasure of hosting chiropractor and fitness coach Austin Lawrence,
and 25 health and fitness professionals, for a back pain workshop.

Mechanical back pain affects millions of people, with 85% of the US
population experiencing an episode at some point during their
lifetime. Indeed, both in the US and UK, a bad back comes second
only to the common cold when looking at GP/physician reason for
attendance figures.

Of all cases of back pain, 70% are due to lumbar sprain or strain,
10% are due to age related degeneration of discs and facet joints,
4% are due to herniated discs, 4% due to osteoporotic compression
fractures and 3% to spinal stenosis. All other cases account for
less than 1% of cases.

What this essentially means is that 70% of back pain is curable
with the correct combination of manual therapy and corrective
exercise. Contrary to popular belief, however, this does not mean
endless stretching of the hamstrings (which will probably add
further problems by increasing rather than reducing anterior pelvic
tilt and increasing lumbar compression),
or improving the strength of your back musculature (which is not a
precursor of back health, particularly in the short term, but back extensor endurance is...), or
doing loads of sit ups to strengthen your torso (spinal specialist
Dr. Stuart McGill actually initiated degenerative disc disease by
putting rats on a trunk flexion machine...).

So what is the answer?

Well, the bad news is that the answer very much depends on your
individual symptoms, fascial status and skeletal alignment. It could be a case of ankle binding, tight fascial trains, anterior femoral glide syndrome, reduced spinal stabilisation, amongst a host of other disadvantaged states..

The good news, however, is that all of these things are easily
identified and corrected with a thorough kinetic chain assessment
and subsequent soft tissue and decompression work. For members of
Phoenix Pro, this is included in your membership already, so if you
have any niggles at all we can straighten them out for you right
away. If you're not a member of Phoenix but would like a full
evaluation, please contact us today on 01483 801150 or
info@phoenixprofitness.com

Similarly, ankle and knee pain can often be rectified in a matter
of minutes.

Above all, remember that pain is your body's way of telling you
that something isn't right and needs to be fixed, otherwise it will
just compensate more and create other problems elsewhere.

Don't put up with pain, get it fixed!

Have a great week,

Charlotte