Weight loss training in New York City
Last month we had Andrew from New York on the 21 day shape up plan who was delighted to be able to get back into 6 pairs of jeans and not just 1 “fat” pair and feels so much better now ready for his Spring holiday. We also had Mum of 2 Kate who didn’t have much to lose but really toned up in the 3 weeks as well as other larger people who have lost significant amounts of weight and inches so that they have to buy new clothes. The next plan starts on Monday 12th and registration closes FRI 9th March so if you want to FEEL and LOOK better then click here to join
A few words from the February participants…
GT “you summed it up today when I bumped into you unexpectedly in town, you said I was ‘glowing’ I am indeed, with healthy eating and exercise now a big part of my life, that’s exactly how I feel, that I am ‘glowing’”
JJ – “ I don’t wobble when I walk up stairs! I’ve made a big effort to get the right amount of sleep and that’s made a huge differance to emergy levels/ mood and concentration. “
LO – “I have had so many comments this week about my weight loss and am really pleased. Please count me in for the next plan.I have bought a new pair of trousers today a size smaller & that’s the second pair since Jan,two dress sizes down“
KA – “ I also look more toned in the after photos – will help me stop fixating on what the scales say and actually concentrate on on what I’m looking/feeling like instead.’
How to get attention at the beach…
See what happened when we took the Ztrainer Suspension Trainer to Portugal for a workout by the beach…
Drop a dress size in 21 days
So January has been really busy and February even more so as people start their New Year fitness routines with vigour, but for many people who’d love to join bootcamp the class days/times don’t work with their schedules. This was the reason I decided to run a new on-line programme that gives 21 days of exercise and nutritional advice to get fantastic results. No need to belong to a gym, you can do the exercises in the comfort of your own home. Meal plans and recipes are easy to follow and the group support will keep you on track. There are videos of how to do the exercises with options for beginners.
Last month the average weight loss was 10lbs with one person losing over a stone in just 3 weeks.
LISA – “Lost 9lb & total of 7 inches. best news is that I bought a dress for a upcoming “do” and it is a size 12 – (normally a good size 14) whooo hooo.. Feel fitter and better generally, loving the fresh, clean food and will continue with that for sure. Have enjoyed the support aspect of this immensely.”
STEVE – “I lost 10lbs and 11 inches in total. 1″ from the neck, 2″ chest, 4″ waist, 2″ hips, 1′ thigh and 1″ arms – brilliant!!! Will be looking to keep this going!”
SARAH – “I’ve lost weight and my stomach muscles are returning- It was just the kick I needed. I have lost 9 pounds and an inch off most places but stomach 2!! and (can I just gloat slightly?) 3 people, yes 3, who have not seen me for ages have said how fab I look! I have told everyone I know about Zest 21 day plan.”
GILL – “Doing well, have lost about 10 pounds so far so that is great, clothes feeling looser and have had a few comments. Will not be going back to unhealthy eating as would love to lose a lot more. Enjoying the exercises and have made them part of my daily routine. Even managed not to be tempted by the open box of maltesers on the mantlepiece!!”
Our next 3 week programme starts on Monday 13th February and registration closes on 10th Feb so don’t wait around as places are limited. You can find out more here http://zestbootcamp.co.uk/21-day-shape-up-plan/
FEBRUARY 4 WEEK BOOTCAMP CLASSES IN BATH & MIDSOMER NORTON STARTS MONDAY 6th – Registration closes today
How to look good for Santa
CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL TIPS
The average person puts on 7-10lbs extra fat over the Christmas period- wow! That’s mainly because people start over-eating late November and often don’t stop until January 2nd (or later if they haven’t finished all the chocolates!). However it doesn’t have to be like that if you have some simple strategies, so be sure to read all the way to the end as you may be surprised at a fact I will share with you in this article.
1. DO A SHORT, INTENSE WORKOUT BEFORE YOU GO OUT – This will not only get your metabolism revved up ready to burn extra calories, but will also focus your mind into what choices you have. You may decide to have that extra glass of wine or you may think “mmm do I really want to do another 50 burpees just to burn it off?” – up to you really. Doing a quick workout before you go out will also make you feel alive, get the blood flowing to your skin which in turn will make you look even more beautiful at the party.
2. EAT WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND – If you want to avoid all the “when are you going to stop this health kick – it’s Christmas, lighten up etc” comments, here’s a way they don’t even have to know you’re eating clean … eat with your non dominant hand! Why does it work? It slows you down. When you slow down what you’re eating, you eat less. And when you eat less, you continue to fit into the clothes you want to, feel better, and look better. Simple, yet effective.
3. DRESS THE PART – Yes put on the outfit you love to wear that you’ve been working hard to get back into or just feel good wearing. You will not only look fabulous but you will also be more conscious of what you are eating and drinking. Opt for something more fitted to help control your intake rather than a baggy outfit with “room to expand”!
4. WATER, WATER, WATER – Most people are very dehydrated over the festive period with more consumption of hot drinks, alcohol and non-water filled foods such as fruit and vegetables. Don’t forget we often mistake dehydration for hunger signals so make sure you always have a glass of water first. Also have an extra glass of water every time you have an alcoholic drink, have a glass before you head out the house and also when you get home.
5. DAMAGE LIMITATION EATING – Make sure not to stand next to the buffet table and only fill your plate once, with food that you can identify, eg a vol-au-vent does not appear in nature but prawns, carrot sticks or nuts are in their original state (generally). Don’t touch the bread either, however good it looks.
6. PLANNING – If you know you have a meal out coming up, then make sure you are eating only fish, meat, eggs, vegetables and a little fruit during the other meals that day. Keep planning your regular workouts into your week and if a night out means you will miss your regular evening exercise class then get up earlier that morning and do a short bodyweight workout at home.
What you must remember, and choose to ignore if you so wish, is that when we put on body fat we increase the NUMBER of fat cells that we have and this can never be reversed. All we can do is to shrink the SIZE of these fat cells but we can’t make them disappear. So if like me, you were a fat kid and young person, you will have more fat cells than if you have always been a sporty, slim person so sadly you will have to stick to these rules even more if you want to look and feel good on January 1st!
4 week bootcamp starts in Bath and Midsomer Norton on 9th January http://zestbootcamp.co.uk/
Our new 21 day online Shape-up plan starts on January 9th if you are unable to come to classes so check out this link to hear Zita explain what it involves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1paXFk4MyA&feature=youtu.be
Happy Christmas!
How to get a flat tummy…
CORE
At bootcamp you will constantly be using your core, and we tell you to keep it tight but what is it?
Your core is not just the muscles in your abdomen, but also the muscles in your back and your hips and it acts like a corset around your trunk. It is hugely important to have a strong core as these muscles are responsible for the movement of your body. However, if we look at the abs specifically, they fall into 3 main groups:
- Rectus abdominis – flexes the lumbar spine and tilts the pelvis. They help maintain the curvature of the lower spine. It is often call the six pack because it looks like 6 muscles when well developed. The fibres of these muscles run vertically from your ribs to your pubic bone.
- Transverse abdominals – this is a deeper layer of internal muscles and supports the vital organs in the abdomen. It does help to flatten the stomach and is used in breathing, defecation, urination and childbirth. The fibres of these muscles run horizontally from front to back (they insert into your spine) and work at low intensity, therefore you are unlikely to ever feel the same “burn” you get in comparison to the other abdominal muscles.
- Internal and external obliques – these muscles run down the side of the abdomen and help in bending and rotating. Their fibres have a criss cross pattern.
What do core muscles do?
- Keep you upright. They stabilise your spine, hips and shoulders, so a strong core leads to good posture which aids all movement, whilst a weak core leads to poor posture and very often back pain and injury.
- They provide stability for activities like walking, bending, standing, sitting, carrying. You name it, they help you do it.
- A strong core is a great asset when training as it improves balance, enhances stability and power, all important factors when training, so enabling a greater intensity during exercise when using weights, plyometrics, such as jumping and leaping or doing high impact exercises.
Let’s not forget the pelvic floor muscles which help stabilise the pelvis and support the organs of the lower abdominal cavity, like the bladder and uterus. Engaging the transverse abdominals helps engage the pelvic floor as they have a connection. The pelvic floor muscles act as a support at the base of the pelvic bowl. One of these muscles goes around the openings of the urethra, vagina and anus. Childbirth, ageing, inactivity and chronic coughing can cause these muscles to weaken or become damaged so ladies don’t neglect those postnatal pelvic floor exercises!
The stronger the core, the more advanced exercises can be performed. One of the best things is that it can be easily exercised at home, many exercises require nothing more than body weight as you will know from Bootcamp…
Plank, Mountain climbers,Renegade Row, Side plank, Frog heel push outs, Crunches, Reverse Curls, Dead bugs, T rotations Superman, Arm angels, Y arm lifts etc
NB: A flat stomach does NOT come from doing lots of abdominal exercises – if you have a layer of fat over your abdomen then it will not go away by just doing lots of crunches which is why firstly good nutrition and secondly a good whole body exercise programme will help you get a six pack!
ps Don’t forget that there is a video on the members site www.bathfitness.co.uk, showing you how to do some of the exercises
We are rebranding to ZEST BOOTCAMP…
Apologies for the very long absence but there has been LOTS going on including a decision to rebrand Bath Bootcamp to Zest Bootcamp.
There are several reasons we are doing this, the main one being that for over a year we have been running classes outside of Bath, just this month we launched another new venue at Midsomer Norton/Chilcompton , so it makes sense to have a generic name. Also the word Zest sums up our fresh, energetic approach plus ofcourse the letter is the coolest one in the alphabet 
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This month our new instructor Sarah Isherwood joined the team and here is a video of her new classes
Nothing else about us has changed, even the logo is the same just different words, but you may still see Bath Bootcamp still appearing as there is SO much to change given we have been around for two and a half years.
Thanks to Amanda at The Whole Story who helped with our new flyer printing and Mark Mayers for the ability to put my ideas for Zest into great design.
Tomorrow we are off to the first ever Alexandra Park Festival in Bath where we have a stand and are doing a few short demos too. There are activities for the family and you can find out more HERE. I wonder who will win the free month at Zest bootcamp in the raffle?
If you’d like to see the new Zest website visit http://zestbootcamp.co.uk/
Pre-easter weight loss challenge
Congratulations to everyone at Bath Bootcamp who took part in our weight loss competition over the 6 weeks and the first prize went to Louise who lost an amazing 17lbs over Lent. Gill came second with 12lbs and Amanda with 10lbs. Collectively the group lost over 4 stone which is fantastic.
Everyone is felling better for it and their clothes are looking much looser. Louise filled in her food diary religiously over the 6 weeks to give her FOCUS, and as well as coming to our fat burning bootcamp classes 3 times a week she also swam and walked on the other days to stay ACTIVE.
Start writing down what you eat over the next 7 days and see what a difference it makes. Research shows that people who don’t keep a food and drink log are likely to consume 25% more calories than those who do. The odd this and that can slip in so start to get that focus back.
You can do it in a book, online with various programmes or use this simple sheet we use Food diary . I know that a big part of our competition entrants success was due to writing it down, as well as the short term focus they had (plus ofcourse they wanted to win a free month at bootcamp!).
Go do it now and let me know if it made a difference.
How to shift that “Baby belly”
A common problem for lots of mums is the baby belly. Well don’t think that 500 sit ups a night are going to shift it. These ladies came to bootcamp and followed clean nutrition to help shift those unwanted pounds – this included no wheat, no sugar, no dairy and no processed food. They did short, intense, full body workouts 3 times a week for a month and reaped the benefits. Watch the video to hear what they say and see some of our different classes in action this month
Gill never told me how scared she was!
Gill was scared to death and was actually sick at her first class (which she kept secret until the interview!) but she stuck with it and now coming to bootcamp is a part of her life. Listen to her story here (fear not I cut out the bit about being sick so as not to put you off your food!)
Secrets of Nutrition and Fat Loss
Thank you to everyone who came to our talk last night to listen to some secrets about what we should be doing to improve our health, and the truth about why the diet industry is making us fatter! It was great to see so many new faces as well as current bootcampers who wanted to learn more and support a good cause. I’ve already had people email me today saying how inspired they have been to start incorporating some of the tips and advice we covered, which is fantastic – action already being taken to improve health.
We raised £150 for Dorothy House Hospice and people also got the chance to try some lovely organic Neal’s Yard skincare including a raffle prize supplied by Anna Sessarego-Mercer. Kath won a lovely 30 minute aromatherapy massage donated by Pey from Five Elements and Lisa (sister to a current bootcamper) was lucky enough to win a free month at bootcamp!
If you missed this one there will be more coming in the future so keep you eyes out for the next chance to learn more.
