Fitter Feature - Ceri Jones

Fuelling my early Fitter London starts..

So…. Thanks to Keris I seem to have a developed an addiction to various snacky Raw bars (9Bars, Nakd, Trek etc) and was spending rather a lot on buying them, not to mention trawling London finding stockists! This got me thinking that they really couldn’t be that difficult to make

as the ingredients lists are so simple (basically nuts, seeds and dried fruit). Also as I hate peanuts (which along with new potato skins are the only foods in the world I can’t stomach) it’s been

difficult finding raw bars I like. Rather a lot of google searches and studying the back of Nakd bars later, and hey presto I came up with a recipe. The good news is that they really are that easy to make, they only contain natural ingredients and there are endless combinations of flavours to experiment with. The bad news is that they taste so good applying portion control

takes an awful lot of self discipline.

So here’s a simple guide to some bars I made last weekend. This week I’ve been eating them as

I run out of the door at 6.30am to fuel up my early 7am Fitter London starts! Next stop recreating

the 9-bar pumpkin (but without unhealthy addition of sugar or vegetable oil) or the Nakd Trek bars with oats included. Go on give it a try, and if you find any winning combinations of

ingredients I’d love to hear them!

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 8 bars)

100g Pitted dates

100g mixed nuts (here is mostly cashew75g with a few walnuts 25g)

Pinch of cinnamon

Nutritional information: Per slice (1/8th of mixture) Roughly;

115 Kcal, 3g Protein, 7g Carbs, 6g fat

• Blend the nuts and cinnamon in a food processor until they resemble saw-dust (or you can leave them slightly chunkier if you prefer) and set aside.
  
  
  
• Cut the dates into small chunks Pic 2 (makes them easier to blend):Blend the dates in the food processor:It works better if you blend in this order as the dates get easily stuck in the blender make more mess and this way you don’t have to scrap them out of the processor then put them back in again.
• Then add the nut mixture back in and pulse until the mixture resembles a dough:
  
  
  
  
• Roll out the dough on a flat surface (mind it will be a bit sticky):
  
  
  and cut and shape into 8 bars:
  
  Or roll into smaller balls.
• Refrigerate for a few hours then enjoy (you can also put them in the freezer).
• Store in an air-tight container.

VARIATIONS

So long as the ratio of dried fruit to nuts or seeds is similar anything will work! I haven’t tried these yet but I'm thinking….. Almonds, Pecan’s, Macadamia nuts, Pinch of ginger, raw cacao powder, orange essence, vanilla essence, agave for extra sweetness, coconut, Dried banana, sultanas, dried apricots, figs, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, mmmm…

Why do YOU Train?

Is it to look good? Feel good? Or is it just because you enjoy it?
Or maybe you do it because you feel you have to.

Let’s face it, most of you train to look good, right?

The truth is we all train for different reasons, however regardless of our goals does how we look play a big part in the way we train?

Here is what a friend of mine CJ Swaby of CJS Fitness said about it:

“I train for performance results, not for aesthetics. My body is a secondary outcome of my training. NOT the main focus or reason I train. I don't train to look good. It’s a very different mindset”.

So he trains purely for performance and with that we has developed a lean athletic physique (CJ don’t don’t take this the wrong way mate, don’t want to get your hopes up).

Another friend of mine Rannoch Donald said:

“Form follows function. I have never seen someone who intelligently focused on performance and didn't look good.”

A great point has been made here. A boxer, a sprinter or even a ballet dancer will never in their career train for looks. Big biceps and a well developed upper chest don’t win fights neither do perfectly symmetrical abs win a 100m sprint. Yet all athletes ,bar say some power lifters and strong men/women, (not dissing) look f@#?ing good.

So would it be safe to say that the best way to train is like that of an athlete? Focusing on the performance of your sessions rather than “oh yeah my chest feels so pumped” or “surly only the adductor machine can work my inner thighs effectively”.

I am a personal trainer, rugby player and an individual who loves to train hard. I am also a firm believer in that if you focus your sessions on improving your performance the body you truly desire will be obtained (let’s not forget diet here).

The reality is that unless you are a keen sportsman of any kind, chances are your goals will not be directed towards performance. When I ask a client “What do you want to achieve?” Here are some common responses:

• I want bigger arms.
  
• I want to lose fat from my thighs.
• I just want to look good in a bikini.
• I want a six pack.

You get the picture. But remember these people have no need to run faster or have better agility as it is not part of their daily life or a hobby. All they want to do is look good.

Those who are driven by aesthetics, are they ever fully satisfied?

A great quote from Andy Mckenzie of Mckenzie Fit:

“When you train for looks I think deep down there will always be imperfections that training will never correct”

If I’m honest I don’t know a single person who is completely happy with the way they look. This can be a good thing as I highly recommend continuously looking for new goals and testing yourself to get to the next level. However with vanity where does it end? Once you have the six pack or slimmer thighs or the V shape you have always wanted, what’s next?

Everyone that I know who structures their training around looks suffers from body dysmorphic disorder. This is where what they see is nothing like what we see. We tell them they have lost body fat, yet they see no change, or we can see their arms have got bigger, they think they look skinny.

My point here is that it is sometimes hard to see results in the mirror, whereas performance never lies. Whether you're lifting more, have more energy, can run faster or you can perform more reps than you did last week. How you have performed on that particular training session is very clear and there are no if’s or buts it just IS. So surely you would think this is the best way to monitor progression. Are you covering 12 miles in the time it took you to cover 10 before? Have you added 20kg to your 10 rep squat? If you have, it’s very clear you have improved.

Here is a question for you:

What if your a model, body builder actor etc? Then you will train for your "look". Isn't it all to do with what drives you?

The nail has been hit on the head here people. What drives you as a person, your career, your hobbies. This is why you do what you do. A body builder trains so that when they are stood in front of hundreds of people with hardly any clothes on they look good (by there standards). A sprinter trains to run the fastest they possibly can and a boxer trains so they can win fights.

A model for example is someone whose success is primarily based on how they look, so yeah they train to look good but…..

They main point of all the mumbo jumbo above is, whether you are training just to look good or to perform better as a rugby player, is training for performance the best route?

For me, yes. My best results have been achieved when my goals are performance focused. With this method of training my body fat % became the lowest it’s ever been, my arms the biggest and my legs......well leave my legs alone, they need work I know (however there are not many people that can catch me on the rugby pitch and for me that is what is important).

This blog is open to discussion as a conclusion has not been made here. I simply have my opinion that training for performance will achieve far better results, is an easier goal to visualize and a simpler way to monitor progress.

I want to know why do you train? How do you monitor progression? What type of training has achieved you the best results?

Beating Those Monday Blues

A ONE DAY DETOX FOR YOUR MIND, BODY & SOUL

Do you ever wake up on a Monday morning feeling groggy, tired and out of sorts? The very thought of having to get out your nice warm bed to face the start of a new week just makes you want to crawl back under the duvet and hide there until at least Tuesday? If your answer is yes then maybe what you need is your very own Sunday session :)

Let me share with you some of the things I try and do on a Sunday to help me wake up on a Monday feeling refreshed, energetic and looking forward to the start of a new week – with no Monday blues (or Mondayites ) as I like to call it in sight!

Kick start your Sunday (and your kidneys) with a cup of hot water with freshly squeezed lemon. Follow it up by a nice breakfast such as salmon and eggs (poached, boiled or scrambled) with tomatoes and a cup of green tea (or 5 cups if you are me.) Actually this is a really nice way to start every day)

Go for a nice walk (Greenwich Park is my personal favourite) use the time to gather your thoughts – NO THINKING OF WORK instead think of 4 or 5 nice things that you did or

happened to you the week before. You will start to realise that people walking past keep smiling at you, that’s because without realising it you are smiling yourself – seriously – try it.

Set yourself a little quick workout challenge. If you look good, you’ll feel good. One I like to do is a 6 minute abs challenge. The challenge being - you try and do it without stopping and more importantly, keep it slow and controlled so you feel every rep. Here it is if you would like to give it a go:

1 min of crunches, straight into 1 min of Russian twists. Back to 1 min of crunches, straight into 1 min of leg lowers. Back to 1 min of crunches, straight into 1 min of bicycles.

Spend some time making a list of all the things you’d like to get done that week. We all get bogged down by thinking... so much to do – so little time. Divvy the list up into days. You’ll be surprised at how much breaking it down will make the week ahead so much less daunting.

Cook a nice healthy lunch then afterwards, (once you’ve washed up of course ) pick a task you have been putting off for ages (clearing out that cupboard, filling in a form, sorting that spare room, making that well over due phone call / email to family member or friend etc.. etc..) and just get it completed. It will seem like a chore at the time but once it’s done, it will be a weight off your mind. It really can be quite amazing how stuff like this can really lift your spirits and mood.

Run a nice hot bubble bath. Use soothing bath oils such as lavender. Apply a face pack (I like the Tea Tree mud masks ones) Stick on some good tunes and totally chill out in the bath. Use a nice body scrub (favourite ones of mine are the Sanctuary Spa range – hot sugar scrub or the salt scrub. Exfoliate using gentle circular motions and remember to moisture after. This will help keep your skin healthy, supple and from drying out. Also give over worked feet a treat by using Boots Gorgeous Feet Reviving Overnight Rescue cream.

Dig out one of your recipe books and cook something you’ve never cooked before. Or if you are brave in the kitchen (am not massively I have to admit) invent a new dish. If it turns out nice, remember make sure you bring it along to the Monday morning class so we can all try it ;)

So there you have it. No magical answers but I know when I at least manage to do some of the above on a Sunday, it definitely makes a difference to how I start my week. The first sign being I don’t have a pressing urge to hurl my alarm clock across the room on a Monday morning and I'm ready to 'Work Off My Weekend' at 7am ;)

Monica xx

My Week as a Freedom Pass Holder

Fitter London came about because Matt and I wanted to put together a class where you never knew what to expect. It would have great music, atmosphere, personality and challenge your fitness every time. We collected everything we loved about group training and made it the standard.

We now have nine classes on the go, each a unique mix of kettlebells, spinning, bodyweight training, functional fitness and core. With new faces now teaching Fitter London I decided to have a week back on the studio floor and take part in every class. I asked each Fitter London Trainer not to even hint at what was in store for me.

Monday - 'Work off the Weekend'

Katie Morrison’s Spin

Katie has an energy that is inspiring (not to mention rare on a Monday!) knowing Katie it’s probably born out of one or two Prosecco’s at the weekend ;-) Even if you loathe spin, Katie’s enthusiasm is contagious and before you know it you’re on the beat, sprinting and sweating.

Circuits with Adura Odesanya

No one wants to do bodyweight or tabatas first thing on a Monday morning but Adura doesn’t take “no” for an answer. The more you moan the harder she makes it! We did a bicep/tricep challenge that had the entire class throwing their weights down at the finish, my triceps didn’t recover until Thursday. It’s tough working out on a Monday morning but with Katie & Adura putting you through your paces and the other Fitter Londoners feeling it with you, it’s the perfect start to your week.

Tuesday - 'Kettlebell Bootcamp' with Adura

Training late evening has never been my thing but Adura wakes everyone up with a swing tabata and a triple set kettlebell circuit follows with individual challenges including Martin Lukac’s 300 jump rope, Gareth Marsden’s 70 Snatches, Vickii Onabulou’s 50 Squats. Great atmosphere, great people = great workout, I earned my tea (that’s northern for dinner) :)

Wednesday - 'Spinbells' with Katie & Jonathan Turnbull

Try performing interval sprints on a bike, straight into kettlebell swings and onto the floor for core drills, then back onto the bike for a hill climb......you get the picture. Jonathan focus’s on strength with circuits that sound impossible until you get to the end (He also throws in some dance moves to keep you entertained) Katie puts your heart rate through the roof with swings and beasts your abs with crunches, planks and a million variations of the two.

Thursday - 'Kettlebells for Cardio and Core' with Katie and Adura.

Intense swing drills and core workouts with a big focus on technique to ensure you engage your core muscles and feel each exercise in exactly the right place (predominantly your abs!). The final circuit of planks and Katie’s yoga inspired core exercises was one of the toughest ab workouts I’ve had in a long time.

Friday - 'Kettlebell Circuits' with Adura

Adura mixed up a circuit of pulling exercises; renegade rows, deadlifts and bodyweight training. During this class, everyone would rather be in the pub and Adura gets nothing but grief especially when it comes to mountain climbers, but as she points out your simply wasting energy that could be spent getting the circuit over with. Excellent workout if only she would quit it with the bloomin RnB music ;-)

Saturday Fitter London with Matt Whitmore

This was the first time I had no idea what Matt had planned for the class. I’ll let you into a secret....we almost always disagree when deciding on the Saturday Fitter London, mainly because Matt wants to fill the class with burpees, squat thrusts and press ups and I want to fill it with kettlebells, spinning and core :)

When the class commenced with a press up, squat thrust and goblet squat circuit, I pulled a face! Matt pulled one back that said “get on with it!”
However, before I know I’m sandwiched between Jack Jefferson and Chris Parnham (the stuff of dreams!) pacing with them and getting stuck into the drill.
The music, the weekend, Matt behaving like a fool and training with some of the fittest people I know, takes the energy to another level, if you’re not there you seriously feel like you missed out!

My week as a Freedom Pass Holder was fun, brutal, challenging, exhausting and inspiring. I loved not knowing what to expect (you can’t dread what you don’t know!), the variety, the instructors, the people, the music and the atmosphere. Everyone’s in it together to push you beyond your expectations and get you fitter than you’ve ever been.

PS I never got chance to do Phill’s Game’s classes so a blog devoted to one of his insane head to toe, back to front, 1000 rep challenges is coming soon ;-)