STRENGTH

Our training system involves practicing the the key movement patterns that will enable you to become more proficient at getting stronger, building muscle, preventing injury and optimising functionality in every day life; these being squat, lunge, push, pull, rotate and hinge.

In order to continually make progress we must place increasing demands on our bodies, we can do this through a bunch of different methods such as;

• Increasing intensity: more weight
• Increase volume: more reps, sets or exercises
• Increase frequency: doing more training sessions than the week before
• Time under tension: increasing the duration of each rep within an exercise.

To incorporate the above we use various training styles to keep things fun and interesting. These being:

• Strength training
• Bodybuilding
• Bodyweight training (calisthenics)

CONDITIONING

When it comes to conditioning we encourage covering all energy systems to create complete fitness. These being: aerobic, lactic threshold and anaerobic.

Aerobic means working with oxygen and uses primarily fat to create energy. This is because you’re testing yourself through a prolonged elevated heart rate at an intensity that requires less energy. This is good for cardiovascular health, endurance, metabolic rate amongst other benefits.

An example of this type of training would be most exercise in which you can still hold a conversation. Heart rate zone 55-70% of MHR.

Lactate threshold is a combination of the aerobic and anaerobic systems and uses a combination of fats and carbohydrates for energy. Because this zone requires energy quickly it uses carbohydrates, the problem is carbohydrates create a by-product called lactic acid to form. In the lactic threshold system, the body can clear the byproduct as quickly as its made.

An example would be some sort of tempo training. Heart rate zone: 70-80% MHR.

Anaerobic activity is more intense and performed for shorter durations, this is because your body is working so hard it can’t oxygenate your muscles quick enough so it extracts energy from your body in the form of glucose (carbs).

Your body can only use this process for so long because lactic acid starts to build up as a by product. If you’ve experienced a burning sensation whilst working out, this is lactic acid and has two outcomes, slows you down or makes you stop. Conditioning your anaerobic system will improve your lactic threshold meaning you can last longer at higher intensities.

An example of this type of training is high intensity interval training, meaning you work hard for a period of time followed by rest and repeated for a given amount of sets. The work and rest is determined on your fitness levels/ability or your specific sport, generally the quicker you can recover the fitter you are.

Anaerobic conditioning can improve muscular strength, mass and power, strengthen bones and improve cardiovascular fitness. Heart rate zone: 80-90% of MHR

We teach our clients the fundamentals in nutrition that will set you up to achieve any goal. This means understanding calorie balance, macronutrients, micronutrients, meal timing/frequency, supplements, staying hydrated and the 80/20 method.

A crucial part of our system is to help clients personalise their ‘diet’ because the fact is, we all have individual biological responses to food.

These responses are based on variables such as genetics, lifestyle, gut microbiome, environment, gender, and activity levels.

This is why there shouldn’t be a one size fits all approach when it comes to nutrition.

Practicing the importance of sleep, mindfulness and mobility is a big part of our system to optimise results and feel amazing.

Sleep plays a vital role in your mental and physical health. In order to see great results and avoid being stressed we as adults should aim for 7-9 hours per night of quality sleep. If you’re someone who struggles with sleep then make it a priority to have a bed time routine; minimise your phone or other electronics around bedtime, do a relaxing activity such as reading, keep the same sleep schedule, avoid alcohol and big meals right before bed. Lack of sleep can make it hard to achieve your goals, you can be less productive and feel run down a lot of the time.

Mindfulness encourages a calm, present and positive mindset, we can do this through methods such as: Meditation, breathing techniques, exercise, being in nature and making time for the things we love to do. If you are someone who struggles with stress, anxiety and depression then practicing mindfulness could be beneficial to you and can have a huge impact on your health and fitness.

Having adequate mobility will allow you to move freely and easily, preventing injury and improving movement efficiency whilst training or in everyday life. We encourage two things, one being the practicing of SMR (self myofascial release) such as foam rolling and other soft tissue release methods, two mobility exercises performed most days on areas that typically get tight like the hips and shoulders, and lastly activation exercises for muscles that sometimes get inactive when our body mechanics gets put out of whack due to lack of mobility.