Kettlebell Classes Launched!

(Not a great shot - playing with a KB circuit before the class!)

That's right - this has been a few years in the making!

Just one of those things we haven't got around to doing until now. We've been playing around with Kettlebells for quite a few years now along with introducing them into our Personal Training sessions and some of the earlier Bootcamp sessions too.

We always intended to have more of a dedicated class to really let the participants explore the benefits of adding kettlebells in to their training programme a little more fully than just doing a few sets of swings now and again.

Remember, a kettlebell is a tool - it doesn't do anything magic by itself. Like any other tool it's all about how you use it, how you integrate it into your programme and learning correct technique in the first place.

There are a variety of approaches to using kettlebells out there and we can draw benefits from most of them depending on our goals and situation.

To many people, learning how to be stable and strong while moving a weight around will be a new experience. Some people really have to re-educate their major muscle groups to do the work they should be doing to safely and athletically move the kettlebell.

It's in learning how to integrate the legs, hips, and 'core' efficiently that many of the benefits of using kettlebells are realised. Your ability to move is improved, along with your ability to use your whole body and therefore burn a load of calories.

Many people will improve pretty much every fitness quality. Kettlebells do lend themselves to being great for improving strength endurance and tend to be great for shifting body fat!

We are currently offering sessions on Tuesday nights at Whitemans Green in Cuckfield near Haywards Heath. These are currently fully subscribed but we will be adding more times soon.

An induction must be attended before regular sessions can be joined.

Please e mail info@sussexbootcamps.co.uk to register your interest.

Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk

How Many Burpees.....?

.....Could you do if you just fixed your mind on a number and got determined to get there no matter how big that challenge seemed and how long you had to take?

Check out my effort at 100 from a few weeks ago!



Burpees are a great whole body movement that demand a large amount of energy and effort!

If you are going to do a lot of them it's worth getting very familiar with the movement first and make sure your back feels good doing them.

Adapt to your own fitness levels, take out the press up and the jump if you need to. Also, hands can be on a raised surface to make easier.

As your ability increases work harder and faster for an intense fat burning exercise!

Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk

Party Season Is Here! Fat Gain Or Loss??

Yes it's December! And if you haven't already seen an increase in your social life then it's probably happening from this week. And let's face it, that can be great and it can also be a disaster for fat loss and fitness.

What happens often is training sessions are dropped, calories are increased, especially from alcohol, fat and carbohydrate! Sleep is reduced, stress levels can be higher etc.

This all adds up to quite a challenge for your body to be a lean, mean fitness machine!

So, let's be as practical as possible about this.

Commit to still exercising. Do your normal days and times if possible, if not simply try to make a different time on the same day. If you can keep some regular habits going this will all be easier to stick with and fully resume once life is more back to normal.

If you have to, simply cut down the time you are exercising to avoid missing it out altogether. Make up for this by working harder, cutting down on rest times etc. If you are spending more than an hour exercising then you are probably not working hard enough anyway!

A longer workout does not mean a more effective one, despite what many people still think. Depending on what you do and what your goals are, a hard 30 minute session can achieve more than 90 mins of easier or less effective work. What are you more likely to be able to fit in?

The bottom line is you are going to feel so much better for staying active. Your body will also more effectively deal with the calories it takes in and keep your metabolism raised for more of the time.

In terms of eating, go for the leaner meats, fish and vegetables first. Fill up on the good stuff and hopefully there will be less room for the not so good!

If you are going somewhere with only snacks available, again try to eat well before going out to avoid over doing the snack calories.

There will be meals where you no doubt do go overboard, and that's ok! Just be a little better to yourself on the other meals you have that day or week. Again, good meats, fish, vegetables and some fruit as the basis for your eating will go a long way to minimising the negative effects of the big party meals.

If you are out a lot, choose to make some nights alcohol free, or offer to drive to make sure that happens. It is your choice and it will still be plenty of fun!

So, to sum up. Keep exercising - you'll, fee, function, and no doubt look better for it! Eat right most of the time, and enjoy yourself when you don't! Stick with this for the next month and you could continue to lose fat and/ or get fitter while enjoying a busy social December!

Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk

P.S. Our free week of bootcamp is filling up very fast. Have you registered? www.sussexfreefitnessbootcamps.com

What Size Are 'Normal' People Anyway?

What size and shape are we meant to be?

What are the average's - is that what we want to be?

What are the images we are bombarded with of the 'perfect' body?!

I'm most aware of these questions when shopping for clothes - which doesn't happen that often! I can only imagine the trouble professional athletes have to go through to get clothes that fit!

Now for those of you who don't know me i am far from large framed, i grew up doing long distance running and martial arts - always just a regular or lean size and shape.

Even today with lots of strength training i'm certainly not at all stocky.

Thererfore it always surprises me when jeans are tight around the thighs and bum. Shirts are often tight around the back and neck.

Surely people are meant to move, exercise, and have their body's adapt accordingly!?

It seems that if you are active enough to actually cause some positive changes in your physique you may find yourself out of the current norm. I think part of this is still the popular culture's obsession with the super skinny.

Or we have the opposite side to this:

Sussex Bootcamps are off to the Bright FM awards this evening to present one of the awards and therefore need to be dressed up.

I went to hire a suit from Broadbridges just around the corner from us in Haywards Heath, which was great. On going back to collect my order they had my order slightly queried, as the size of my jacket 'should' have accompanied trousers 4 inches bigger than i need for my waist!

This is relevant to our bootcampers experiences as we often hear of people noticing clothing fitting differently. From the reassuringly baggy, to the concerned tighter around the legs!

If someone, particularly a woman is experiencing areas getting larger from something like a bootcamp, i'm going to suggest 1 of 2 things are happening. 1, they are possibly not being too good with nutrition and this is simply some weight gain, or 2, if it's actually lean muscle tissue then they were under muscled in the first place.

This may not be what individuals want to hear but if a small amount of muscle tissue (and it can only ever really be small doing what we do) is added this is simply a healthy and positive response, so don't let old clothing sizes or media images convince you you are not actually looking better!

More soon from the front lines of fitness and fashion!!

Steve

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

Here is a quick video for you! Ben pounced with his camera just as i was about to tuck in! (A beautiful sunny day in Haywards Heath today which is a welcome change from the floods!)

High quality protein (and enough of it) along with a good serving of veggies is how most of my lunch and dinners tend to turn out.

If it's a lower fat protein then i don't always feel as satisfied so i may need a handful of nuts at the same meal.



Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk

Pumpkin Workouts For Fat Loss And Fitness?!

It's a bit of fun and something a little different! Our Bootcampers enjoyed this experience last year so we thought we would do more of the same this year.

We're doing 2 different pumpkin workouts this week and most people seemed to select the right size for them - something around 3 - 8 kgs depending on strength and ability seems ideal for what we have been doing.

The great thing is i've had loads of comments today about how the Bootcampers are really feeling the work they did yesterday!

As they are only used to doing mostly bodyweight movements, adding some load soon makes a difference. Having said that people were able to translate their good technique and core strength easily to working with a load.

One of the favourites seemed to be the pumpkin burpees and pumpkin planks (feet on top)!

Watch out, we may include more useful tools in the future! In fact we've just ordered some brand new kit to try out thouroughly to see if it can enhance our boot camp sessions.

More on that soon.

Speaking of fitness and fat loss, i'll be posting my 100 burpee challenge as soon as i've got the time!

Enjoy your fitness and health,

Steve

Nutrition Talk For Bootcamp Clients in Haywards Heath

At the end of last week - after the excitement of our pumpkin session! - i gave our current bootcampers a nutrition talk.

We are at least with our clients for their 3 bootcamp sessions each week, but this still leaves a lot of room and time for other lifestyle factors to impact on results.

Nutrition is one such area and although we give everyone some great information, it is sometimes better delivered in person with a chance to focus on that alone and ask questions.

We are always seeking to deliver more value to our clients and this was one such way we could do it.

Here is an overview of my talk

Overview of Successful Weight Loss
Correct Exercise
Nutrition
Attitude

Overview of Nutrition
Confusion
Extreme Choices
What Most People Do
The Solution

Supportive Nutrition
Frequency
Building a Meal

Tweaks
Timing
Multi Vitamins
Protein / Meal Replacements
Lower Carb Days

Tips
Food Diary
Shopping List
Not in The House = Not Eaten!
Goals and Mental Commitment

Questions?

That was the bare bones of what we covered. Hopefully this reinforced for our clients the importance of doing what they can and sticking with some core principles.

If you are interested in having me speak on topics of health and fitness i am available to do so.

Best Wishes,

Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk

Start Your Winter Fitness Plan Today!

Have you noticed some changes to your routine with the changes of the season's?

Any changes in moods or eating patterns?

How about energy levels or sleeping patterns?

If not careful this is a time of year when the Summer time health and fitness efforts can all go out the window!

You don't really want to have to start all over again in the Spring do you?

Good I thought not! Address this early – now, don't wait until something like Boxing Day to realise you've not done any training for the past 2 months.

Having said all that, it's probably no bad thing if you do change some things about your routine, but not if that leads to dropping it altogether.

You might decide to change the time of day that you exercise to better fit in with your moods, energy, levels of light, and other commitments.

You might decide to change your focus – lift more weights, or find some shorter but higher intensity sessions that challenge you with less time available for example.

You might need more sleep when you can get it – do you really need to watch rubbish on TV or surf the internet late so often?

All of these things just point towards you having options and adapting so that you make the most out of the training you do.

Now decide what you want – how do you want to be looking and feeling around that time of resolutions being made? What is it going to take to achieve that?

With some idea of a plan in mind you want to get this established as a routine before all those demands on your time risk taking over.

Use the next 3 to 4 weeks to establish some good habits that will have you looking and feeling great after the holiday's! I'd recommend starting a food and exercise diary if you are not doing so currently.

Keep an eye on any changes, write down what is really happening, and stay accountable to achieving the results you want.

Be an everyday athlete!

Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk

Freaky Fat Loss On Friday At Bootcamp!

That's right! We entered into the spirit of things!

Well we got pumpkins, and a couple of watermelons!! And a few medicine balls.

It all resulted in some great training sessions at Bootcamp on Friday. This was the first time we have added any type of resistance at the current camp, and i think everyone enjoyed the change and the challenge.

We got to load all the now familiar movement patterns, and add a few that really lend themselves to a bit of external resistance.

As always we focused on some repeated intervals of mostly whole body movements that aim to stimulate the best fitness enhancing, fat burning, muscle toning and strengthening results around.

Next year we'll all try to do better on the costumes - and now everyone knows i wasn't joking about the pumpkins!!

Hope some of the Bootcampers enjoyed tasting their pumpkins over the weekend - a nice reward for some hard work.

Pics to follow,

Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk

Burpee Interval Training At Home!

Here you go!

One of our clients favourites!!!

Once again i'm using the short Rapid Fat Loss Cardio soundtrack to time and motivate my efforts.

Have you tried this sytem as part of your own training yet?

If you are subscribed to my training journal, i'll hapily send you the 16 week plan so you can see how it works.

For maximum results you'll want to order the soundtracks that support the intervals. By doing so you'll also get the 4 minute version and any bonuses that still remain.

To Order Click Here!

Have a great Bank Holiday!

Not looking good weather wise for the music event in Haywards Heath!

Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk

Your Health And Fitness Balance?

How balanced is your health and fitness approach?

How many different areas are you doing pretty good at?

All too often i see people who hit one area really well but are shockingly bad in others.

Other people might do a couple of things ok and a few more not so good.

Many will also not be up to scratch on any area.

Now, we have to be aware that the concept of 'balance' is different for many people depending on their particular goals and perspectives. But whatever your particular bias, you are going to need some level of strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, power, supportive nutrition, and restoration.

This is a basic list - each category could be further subdivided into specific aspects of each.

Take each of the above areas and honestly evaluate each one for yourself. Imagine each of these qualities is the spoke on a wheel. Any gaping holes or weaknesses in your wheel (your approach)?

Not many people have the requirements of an ultra specific training programme. Therefore most of us can benefit from being 'all rounders' to a certain extent.

So, the challenge for you is to address some of those areas you are not currently doing so well at. It's easy to do the things that we have learned to be good at, or have a natural ability for, even when we work them hard.

It's challenging, both physically and mentally to work at something new or different. And if you are truly addressing something that was out of balance, then addressing this should only be a positive, compared to just doing something different for the sake of it.

Ever heard that saying that if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail in the wall that needs banging in?

Sometimes you really don't need to do just more of the same thing, harder!

Look at the two areas above that really form the foundation of the gains that you make, especially concerning health, - nutrition and restoration. Are you really giving your body enough of a varied stimulus, and then enough down time and fuel to positively adapt to that stimulus?

Be an Everyday Athlete!

Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk

Review of Workout Muse's Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Soundtracks.

Workout Muse’s Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Program promises fast fat loss for busy men and women who want to get big-time results by using interval cardio workouts.

The creators of Workout Muse claim that these workouts can be performed in 30 minutes or less and are best done on non-resistance training days three times per week (Workout Muse highly recommends resistance training in addition to their cardio workouts).

Furthermore, the interval cardio workouts use a host of equipment-free exercises that can be performed ANYWHERE and ANYTIME with no need for expensive cardio machines. These claims sound too good to be true, huh? Let’s examine how Workout Muse works and what makes it so different from the cardio regimen most people are following for fat loss…

Let me start by saying I have always been a fan of interval training myself, it does not require a ton of time and it is not boring like your usual cardio workouts. Unfortunately, what makes it so difficult is it is often a juggling act between my watch, desired intensity level, and awareness of my surroundings. When one takes my attention, (i.e. constantly looking at my watch to keep time) one of the others falters, (i.e. I can’t perform to the optimal intensity level because I feel like I might trip). It can also be the other way around, when I completely focus on the task at hand, I completely lose track of time and cannot follow the very important timelines. As a result, although interval training is the BEST training for fat loss, it is often hampered by the very timelines that make it so effective.

Workout Muse harnesses the science of interval training and the power of sound by providing done-for-you audio interval training soundtracks that tell you when to start, when to stop, and even provides countdowns and updates to keep you focused on the task at hand. Not to mention the mind-blowing, adrenaline racing workout music created from scratch by their elite team of sound designers! All you’ll need is your body weight and an mp3 or CD player to get started.

As I tried Workout Muse for the first time, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of this” moments. Well, let’s explore the trainer who did think of this. After all, as scary as it is, this day in age anyone with a computer can become certified without any real-world knowledge.

BJ GADDOUR, CSCS, is the president and founder of GGR Fitness and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the prestigious National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also the co-creator and fitness director of WORKOUT MUSE: The World’s FIRST and #1 Audio Interval Trainer. As a former fat kid and real world fat loss expert, BJ has helped HUNDREDS of people lose THOUSANDS of pounds of ugly, unwanted body fat!

I have to say I was first struck by BJ’s personal success story in overcoming his lifetime battle with being overweight. He isn’t one of those lucky genetic freaks that have a naturally perfect physique. But BJ didn’t just get into good shape … he got shredded! What is even more amazing is that he claims to have achieved this physique with the EXACT same interval cardio programs provided by Workout Muse. BJ was just like the average American, trying to figure out why his long, boring hours on the treadmill were doing nothing to decrease the bulge.

I have to be honest, when it comes to fitness one of the most annoying things in the world is when you see fat trainers that try to tell other people how to lose weight! I mean, who are these wannabes fooling? All I know is that I am not going to take exercise advice from someone who is in worse shape than I am. I want to know the person who is prescribing the program also does it him/herself. That is definitely the case with Workout Muse.

BJ is also extremely passionate in helping others who struggle with their weight and it is clearly evident that he simply loves what he does. More importantly, the results his program has provided time and time again for other people just like YOU are simply amazing. You really need to go and check out the Rapid Fat Loss Cardio site Click Here!to see the life-changing results BJ’s clients have gotten from his simple, yet brutally effective interval cardio routines.

For those of you who are not familiar with High-Intensity Interval Training, this is not some gimmicky, here today, gone tomorrow fitness fad. There is rock-solid science supporting this type of training. Daily there are more and more studies being published demonstrating the almost unbelievable effects interval cardio has on the body.

The whole concept behind the rapid fat loss cardio system is that you sprint to look better naked. Yeah I know, it sounds a bit cheesy, but here’s how it all works: Interval Training consists of alternating between bouts of maximal effort and low to moderate-intensity recovery periods. Essentially, high-intensity exercise rapidly depletes muscle glycogen (stored sugar) which subsequently increases total body fat-burning during both the recovery periods during your workouts AND in the hours and even days after your workouts. So by burning carbs during your workout you will essentially burn fat the rest of the day! After all, have you ever met a fat sprinter?

Keep in mind, you don’t necessarily have to run to sprint, it is the work-to-rest ratio and relative intensity of a sprinter that you are trying to emulate. So these workouts can be done with any form of cardiovascular exercise. In fact, BJ highly recommends that de-conditioned beginners start performing interval training on a stationary bike in order to build work capacity, decrease body weight, and improve physical confidence without the unwanted pounding on the joints. Once you melt off some serious fat and get the hang of intervals, then you can progress to others forms of exercise like running without overwhelming your body.

The powerful AFTERBURN effect of interval cardio allows your body to burn a ton of calories during your workout AND a ton of calories for the 24-48 hours following your workout. Talk about a good return to your investment! This is accomplished by the fat loss phenomenon know as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which describes the amount of energy expended by your body to recover from intense exercise. On the other hand, when a person performs, typical, steady, long bouts of cardio the calorie burn stops the second they do.

Gaddour cites one landmark aerobic training study showing that 45 hours of aerobic training led to ZERO FAT LOSS over dieting alone! Furthermore, he spits out numerous studies supporting the fact that interval training burns 9 times more body fat than the long, boring steady-state aerobic alternative. One study even shows that only four minutes of the Tabata Interval Protocol (20 s on, 10 s off) led to greater fat loss and fitness improvements than another group who performed 60-minute bouts of slow cardio. This exact protocol is featured in both the final month of the 16-Week Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Program and as the Workout Muse Cardio EXPRESS, a special 4-Minute Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Routine that you can perform on those days when you simply do not have enough time to get a full interval workout in. Yep, that’s right, no excuses!

Of course, Workout Muse is not the first product out there to promote and prescribe interval training. So what makes their program unique?

The Workout Muse Audio Interval Training Soundtracks!

The bottom line is that interval training can be a real pain the butt to perform on your own without someone telling you when to start and stop. You constantly have to look at your clock and this annoying distraction truly limits the effectiveness of your interval workouts. Basically, you become a prisoner to your stopwatch! It is one of those inconveniences that I have tolerated only because there was no alternative.

Well, now that I have tried Workout Muse, I am going to keep using it. I was apprehensive about the fact that I have very particular music tastes and would miss them throughout my workouts. However, I was shocked to find that I didn’t miss my music at all. For one, the countdowns and time keeping were invaluable, but also, I guess it wasn’t the songs specifically that drove my workout, but the beats and rhythms behind them. Topher Farrell, Co-founder and Head Sound Designer for Workout Muse captures really cool beats, sounds and rhythms so that I still feel the same motivation I did from my old music. Topher has years and years of experience as a professional sound designer for film and as a music producer/audio engineer. This does show in the quality of the sound and seamless nature of the tracks.

So, here’s what you get with The 16-Week Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Soundtracks:

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET:

Over 2 Hours of Professional Sound Design and Music Composition!
The EXACT Customized And Periodized Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Program We Hand To All Of Our Paying Training Clients On DAY ONE So They Can Up To Lose 2-3+ Lbs of Ugly, Unwanted Body fat Per Week!

Each Month You Will Alternate Between Two Different Workouts (Cardio Workout A And Cardio Workout B) Each Featuring 10-20 Minutes Of Rapid Fat Loss Intervals Book-Ended By A 5-Minute Warm-Up and A 5-Minute Cool-Down So You Can Get Big-Time Results In 30 Minutes Or Less!

DONE-FOR-YOU Detailed Audio Instructions Clearly Explaining How To Perform Your Cardio Intervals For Some Serious Fat-Melting!

DONE-FOR-YOU Pre-Programmed Work-to-Rest Periods That Tell You When To Start And When To Stop With Strategically Placed Countdowns and Updates Serving As Your Personal Music Trainer!

Original Music Created From Scratch To Drive The Most Intense, Results-Producing Workouts Of Your Life!

Every Track Has DIFFERENT INTERVALS To UNIQUE MUSIC To Provide Endless Listening Pleasure For Your Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Workouts!

Plus, they have thrown in a ton of LIMITED-TIME ONLY BONUSES that you simply don’t want to miss out on! With Workout Muse’s 60-Day no questions-asked, money-back guarantee, you can personally test-drive these rapid fat loss soundtracks RISK-FREE! You literally have nothing to lose besides ugly, unwanted body fat!

Now, before you run off and buy, there is one catch… THESE WORKOUTS ARE REALLY HARD!

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY!
This product IS NOT FOR YOU if:

- You are someone who is undisciplined and unmotivated and WILL NOT workout unless you have supervision!
- You are a whiner or complainer with a self-defeating negative attitude!
- You are looking for another quick fix or a crash diet to solve all of your problems overnight!
- You have a health or medical condition that will not allow for the performance of HIGH-INTENSITY activity!
- You don't have the ability to open a zip file and play an mp3!

Now, this product IS FOR YOU if:

- You want the most simple, convenient, and affordable DONE-FOR-YOU rapid fat loss cardio interval training system automated to audio instructions that has helped hundreds of people before you lose thousands of pounds of ugly, unwanted body fat!
- You are a hard-working individual with a positive mental attitude and an unbreakable commitment to ACTUALLY FOLLOW a tried and proven fitness program!
- You have the ability to handle INTENSE muscle burn and push yourself past your comfort zone!
- You have a good support system around you to help you stay accountable towards your fitness goals!
- You own an mp3 player or cd player and have some experience with downloading PDFs and mp3 files!

Check it out today so you can see what everybody in the fitness world is talking about @ Click Here!

Steve Cork

P.S. Remember my e-book on the Mental Side of training is just one of the bonuses that you can get with this product if you order this week.

Mine is only a short book, but if you truly apply what is in it it will be worth the price of the whole product to you!

Free Fat Loss System Gift For You!

Hi,

Keep a close eye on my blog this week, and on your in boxes if you are signed up to my training journal newsletter.

I am going to be giving away some fantastic fat loss resources for you to enjoy in the next day or so.

One in particular is a 16 week rapid fat loss cardio system that will blow you away.

The other is a time efficient 4 minute fat loss workout along with a timed soundtrack for you to workout to. You can download this to an mp3 or burn onto a cd, or just do it right in front of your computer if the boss doesn't mind!

If you like this system and can see how you could use this for great results alongside your Bootcamp, Personal Training sessions, or classes, there will be a great offer to get hold of more of this system.

This could well revolutionise any training you do on your own, at the gym, or on holiday. The system is great but adding music which contains the timed intervals within it takes it to the next level .

Want to decrease your body fat in the most effective way possible?

Want to rapidly improve your fitness?

Then you have to put this into practise!

Look out for more info soon, and a way to also get hold of my very own 'Mental Fitness For Maximum Fat loss' e-book for free!

We've been integrating this stuff into our Sussex Bootcamp sessions and personal training sessions to great effect. We're about to unleash the whole thing!

Stay tuned!

Steve.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who has asked how my move from Haywards Heath to Plumpton Green has gone. All has nearly been shifted and i just have to find a home for everything now!