INSANITY workout - review

A couple of months ago, I began to hear whisperings - around SW London and beyond - of a workout so tough it left even regular marathon runners trembling in their trainers.

The INSANITY workout, which began as a DVD sensation, was created by Shaun T - a man so bulging with muscle that he makes Hercules look like Rodney Trotter (American, obviously...) - and pushes participants to their very limits to hone the body and improve fitness levels. 

INSANITY has now well and truly reached British shores, and as well as the DVD workout taking the UK by storm, live classes have been popping up nationwide to help us Brits battle the bulge.

The lovely Tanya got in touch with me back in July to let me know about classes starting in Putney, Fulham and Hammersmith, and asked me if I fancied coming along to a session to give it a go.

Her very kind invitation happened to coincide with my lovely boyfriend popping the question, so what better time to kick-start the bridal body regime and give something new a go?!

Off I trundled to St Mary's Church hall in Putney at 7pm on a Monday evening, completely clueless about the 'experience' that lay in wait.

Tanya reassured me on arrival that I would be absolutely fine, but several references to the need to 'dig deep' and '100% effort' had me thinking otherwise...

I was right.

INSANITY does exactly what it says on the tin. IT IS INSANE.

But, I LOVED it!

The website tells you with  confidence that 'you'll be dripping with sweat, you'll be gasping for breath, your heart will be pumping out of your chest, and you'll wonder if you can keep going'. 

They are absolutely spot on. 

INSANITY is a variation of high intensity interval training (HIIT); you get your heart rate up as much as possible through a series of high impact moves for two minutes at a time, with a 30 second recovery in between. 

Each class starts with a 'warm-up' to get your heart rate up, which consists of six different moves that are repeated three times.

As a fairly regular gym-goer and a big fan of cardio classes like Body Attack and Body Combat, I was flummoxed - to say the least - at having to indulge my inner dweeby asthmatic and reach for my puffer after just this section alone.

Once the warm-up had really gotten the blood pumping, it was just a 30 second break before we were into the first of three 'blocks' of interval training. 

Starting with more cardio (god help me) before moving onto balance & agility and strength, each block consisted of four moves of 30 seconds each, followed by a 30 second recovery period.

For each move, there's a lower intensity option you can take if you're really struggling. I was reassured to see that even the super fit members of the class were resorting to these every once in a while (phewph). 

As Tanya encouraged us from the front of the room, it's all about how many reps you can do and keeping perfect form & technique. So long as you're working at 100% effort, it doesn't matter whether it's the higher or lower intensity option that you're taking. 

By the end of block three I thought I might quite possibly keel over / vomit / cry, but I just about managed to make it through to the final abs and stretching sections.

After a much needed towel down and glug of water, I even mustered the strength for one last diamond jump for a picture. (In the bright pink).

It may have been the most difficult workout class I've ever done, but it was also the most rewarding. Afterwards, I was knackered, but buzzing! 

Six weeks down the line and I'm just about to sign up for another batch of classes, having completed my fifth week of INSANITY workouts on Monday.

I've certainly slimmed down as a result, and - according to my heart rate monitor - am burning up to 650 calories in each 50 minute class!

Tanya is currently running three classes each week:

Putney: Monday, 7pm, St Mary's Church Hall

Hammersmith: Thursday, 7pm Westside School

Fulham: Wednesday, 7pm, Vanstone Place Community Hall

Give it a go, SW6ers - it's a workout unlike any other!

Plus, your first class is only £5!

For more information, check out the website: http://www.londoninsaniacs.co.uk/ or send Tanya an email: londoninsaniacs@gmail.com 

Fighting the festive flab? Grab a Slice of the action!

If you're anything like me, at this dreary time of year you'll be mid-way through a half-hearted January detox and an inch away from binning the 'green juice' and reaching for the nearest biscuit tin/wine bottle/fag packet (delete as appropriate).

And let’s face it; that’s totally understandable. The weather is miserable, we’re back at work, and the annual influx of not so fair weather fitness fans is making the average gym class studio feel more like a sardine tin.

Having narrowly avoided a black eye from an over-enthusiastic neighbour’s energetic ‘Superman’ leaping, it was after a packed out Body Attack class at my local gym that I set out to find a fun and fresh new way to exercise in SW6.

Like Sarah and Jess before me, I trundled off to discover the brilliant local business that is Slice: an innovative group-exercise concept housed in a beautiful, bespoke building in the heart of Parsons Green.

Tucked away round the corner from Waitrose, Slice offers an enormous range of exercise classes to suit every taste, whatever your fitness level.

Launched last year and growing all the time, Slice is a breath of fresh air when it comes to exercise classes. From your more traditional Yoga and Pilates, to Barre Conditioning (a Slice speciality) and Fighting Fit, there’s something for everyone.

Scanning the list, there was one particular option that I had to try: 80s Aerobics.

I don’t care what anybody says, I know it’s tacky and well renowned as ‘the decade that taste forgot’, but I LOVE the 80s. Leg warmers, Wham!, big hair. I love it all.

So it was with a spring in my step and my leopard print leggings in my gym bag that I headed in to meet the impossibly smiley Colby, our instructor for the evening.

The beauty of Slice is – as Colby explained to me - that, unlike other gyms, you get rewarded for going. Slice starts with the “Slice and Dice” card – which works as an Oyster card – giving you discounts as you do more classes.  You come because you want to! Plus, this month, you can sign up for 30 days unlimited classes for the bargain price of £40.

The studio that the class took place in was spacious and warehouse-y in feel. Obviously not alone in my 80s fandom, I was joined by about 15 other ladies all ready to strut their stuff to some of the decade’s cheesiest tunes and work up a sweat in the process.

Apart from a disappointing lack of leg warmers and not a Richard Simmons sweatband in sight, it was an excellent turnout.

A deceptively loud portable stereo in the corner blasted out a series of the 80s finest musical masterpieces. We jumped to Journey, lunged to Lionel and pranced to the Poynter Sisters in a fun, high energy cardio workout for half an hour, before it was time to hit the mats and channel our inner Jane Fonda with some good old fashioned floor work.

We leg lifted, squatted and there was hip thrusting that the girls in that Eric Prydz video would have been proud of; though in my case it was more Eric Pickles than Eric Prydz. (I blame the mince pies).

A frequent albeit reluctant attendee to Les Mills torture sessions like Body Combat and Body Attack, I was expecting 80s aerobics to be fairly tame in the difficulty stakes. What felt like several hundred sit-ups and crunches later, though, and I stood very much corrected. My stomach muscles ached good and proper the next day – always a sign of a proper workout.

So, if you’re on the hunt for something to freshen up your workout routine that’s fun, different and a great way to get fighting fit for 2014, head down to Parsons Green and grab a Slice of the action!

SLICE URBAN LIFESTYLE STUDIOS
11 Heathmans Road
London SW6 4TJ
PH: 020 7186 6007
Email: hello@slicefitness.co.uk

Start the Transition

TRX. HIIT. What the ****?

Sarah and I will try most things in the spirit of getting fit losing weight, so when we got an invite from the lovely Claire at Transition Zone to find out what on earth these mysterious acronyms were all about, we leapt at the opportunity.

The brainnchild of Claire Finlay, a bubbly and expert trainer with over a decade's PT experience under her belt, Transition Zone is a Fulham gym with a difference. Set in a light and airy space on Sulivan Road, Claire encourages her clients to mix up their workout through a series of 30-55 minute classes, most based on the principle of high intensity interval training. Based on the oh-so-true insight that most of use tire of the same old workout routine (how many times have you heard that same spinning soundtrack?) and consequently let ourselves slip, Claire has devised a range of classes to challenge you and keep you on your toes (and off them!) and let you get the same results in just half an hour as you would having spent an hour bored silly on the X trainer. What's more, all the classes are in small groups (3-4 maximum) so you really reap the benefits
of the extra level of personal attention.

Transition Zone offers Power Plate, boxing, dynamic yoga, Pilates chair, personal training and the mysterious TRX - and Claire promises she's got plenty in the pipeline to keep her clients' workouts interesting. In for a penny, in for a pound, Sarah and I opted for the intriguing TRX/yoga fusion. Claire specialises in a dynamic style of yoga that really gets into you moving, stretching deeper and working those muscles. Being a fan of bikram and power yoga, I appreciated the more active style - you get the best of both worlds: feeling a little more limber AND like you're torching some calories. It's in situations like these, too, when the small class sizes really come into play. As you move from posture to posture quite quickly, it's essential that someone is able to keep an eye and spot check your postures to ensure you're getting the most out of the workout and not doing yourself any damage.

Half an hour, and just a small amount of perspiration later, we moved onto the TRX portion of the class. So, it turns out TRX is a suspension-style workout performed with a series of straps attached to a large metal frame. Battling against our bodyweights, Claire had us squat, stretch, dip, balance and bounce. With the focus on core strength, stability and flexibility this workout seriously packs a punch but the focus is very much on long and lean rather than bulky - plus, turns out throwing yourself around using a suspension system, lots of straps and the force of gravity is pretty fun!

Our session made Sarah and I (committed monotonous runners and spinners both) really think again about the way we exercised, and Claire is full of handy hints and advice, coupled with a deep and genuine passion for fitness. Transition Zone offers a fresh take on training, and offers something quite unique for the area - I'm sure it will be making plenty of other Fulham exercise zombies rethink their workouts over the coming months too.

If you'd like to try out Transition Zone for yourself, why not take advantage of the 10 day TRI? For just £50 you can try out unlimited classes for 10 days. Alternatively, all evening classes are currently just £15. You can book online here.

Transition Zone
Broomhouse Studios
Unit 1, 50 Sulivan Road
London SW 6 3DX
www.transitionzone.co.uk

Reach!...for some new abs

When it’s baking hot outside like it is at the moment, thoughts are likely to turn to one of two things. Firstly, how we can trade time in the office for time in the great, sunny outdoors. Secondly, how we can get in shape ready for our skimpier summer wardrobes. When the sun comes out, suddenly we all make a pact to be leaner, fitter, healthier. And we want results. Fast. I’m no exception, and with an early summer holiday looming only a few weeks away, I needed to up the ante on my farcical “fitness” regime. So, I did what any blogger would do: I sought advice on Twitter, and was promptly invited to Reach Fitness, Clapham, to have my ass whooped in their terrifyingly aptly-named ‘Warrior Workout’.

Reach Fitness is not for the faint-hearted.  It’s not a gentle, easy workout for people looking for a painless way to drop a pound or two. When I visited last weekend I was put through some serious paces. 60 minutes of intense circuits: burpees, mountain climbers, planks, kettle balls, AMRAP (as many rounds as possible of certain exercises in a certain time frame) and all things intense and sweaty. My companions for the session were without exception lean, muscular and pretty darn fit. Evidently, this hardcore method gets results, and is designed for people who are serious about getting results.  So, if you’re already a bit of a fitness machine, and are looking to push yourself further, you’ve found the right place. Rich Tidmarsh, who owns Reach, trains top athletes like international rugby player James Haskell, so rest assured you’re in good hands.

Yet, as terrifying as that all sounds, everyone was incredibly friendly, and encouraging, not least our instructor, Laurie. I’m definitely not lean, muscular or particularly fit, but I made it through the session with a lot of friendly encouragement and banter, and I did feel amazing afterwards (although come the following day, I definitely felt more sore than fantastic!). You are paired up throughout the session, so your buddy will always cheer you on, and there’s plenty of friendly competition, so even if you don’t mind letting yourself down, you’ll push yourself that extra bit harder so as not to let down your buddy. The session was definitely a bit of a jolt to the system, but only served to underpin how when left to our own devices in a gym, we probably don’t push ourselves as hard as we should. For anyone who is serious about pushing their body, and getting fit as well as lean, Reach is a bit of a winner. 

If you’d like to check out Reach for yourself, you can bag yourself a free trial session by signing up online. Let us know how you get on!

Reach Fitness

Unit 7B, Clapham North Arts Centre

London SW4 6DH

www.r4reach.co.uk

Image from Reach Fitness website at r4reach.com

Boxing the bulge at Sands End Ladies ABC

We're always on the look out for new ways to keep fit, healthy and to manage the bulge in Fulham and Chelsea, but I don't think I've had a workout yet like the one I got last weekend at the Sands End Ladies ABC.

Set up by local ladies Jennifer Hunter and Staica Read and sponsored by the Mayor of London's FREESPORT programme, this free class takes place every Saturday from 2 to 3:30pm at the Hurlingham and Chelsea School, Peterborough Road. The session starts with a quick overview of the basic boxing moves: jabs, punches, hooks, parries and blocks. The emphasis is on correct technique as well as building awareness around posture, footwork and keeping your guard. Boxing is much more complex than it looks are there are lots of nuances that will make sure you get maximum power, and avoid hurting yourself! We then paired up to practice simple routines, all non-contact, before hitting the punch bags, weights and a pretty gruelling floor routines of squats, crunches and stretches. The coaches are incredibly supportive and encouraging, making sure we were all pushing ourselves as hard as we could but that the session remained light hearted and fun. There's lots of laughter and joking around, and a pretty awesome soundtrack, but you definitely feel the burn!

Boxing is not the exercise that springs to mind for must of us girls when we're considering our fitness options, but it provides a really full on workout for your whole body, and helps build awareness, coordination, agility and some properly hard biceps and abs. The sessions are non-contact (no black eyes here!) and everyone there was incredibly friendly and encouraging, and a whole mix of ages and abilities. Just remember to do a thorough warm-down before going to bed that evening - my arms were still aching 48 hours afterwards!

The classes are totally free, and it's a fun way to get a really thorough workout in a really friendly group. Take a mate and check it out - you've got nothing to lose!

Sands End Ladies ABC
Sports Hall, Hurlingham and Chelsea School
Peterborough Road
SW6 3ED
Saturday 2-3:30pm. Classes FREE
http://sandsendabc.org.uk/about/

Fitness, but with a little added luxury

It's usually January when we begin to feel a bit fed up: a bit overweight, a bit run down and a little bit poor. So last weekend, Sarah and I tackled all three at once and spent the morning at Cupcake Mum, Parsons Green, checking out their spa, personal training services and hearing all about their new fitness programme for young professionals - Club C studios.

We kicked off with a fairly brutal 8am session with Gen, of The Body Professionals, who take care of personal training services at Cupcake. After assessing our posture, alignment and general levels of fitness, Gen set out to make us love the bits of the gym we'd always hated (the rowing machine and circuits respectively) by injecting some variety and mixing up the intensity, teaching us new twists on exercises we already knew and really working on our technique and posture to make sure everything we did was truly effective. That, mixed with an upbeat soundtrack, endless positivity and a mischievous sense of humour meant an 8am ass-kicking in the gym was almost fun! 

Nonetheless, thighs and stomachs aching after various rounds of "Swiss Ball James Bonds" and "Sumo Squats", a 'head in the clouds massage' in the beautifully appointed Cupcake Mum spa was more than welcome. The treatment rooms are softly lit, gorgeously scented and beyond comfortable (one of the beds has a heated water mattress - you'll never want to get up) and all our tensions, knots and worries were gently teased away. The spa is open to non-members, so you don't need to be a Mummy to benefit, and for sheer boutique luxury, it really rivals many of the other spas in the area, so is well worth checking out.

Next up was a meeting with John of Club C studios. A long-time personal trainer and fitness entrepreneur (John and his business partner Neal set up successful kids' sports company Young Stars), Club C is a new venture to take the brilliant facilities and fitness services of Cupcake Mum, and make them available to the discerning young professionals of SW6. For a monthly sum of £37.50 you'll get unlimited access to their range of over 30 fitness classes per week, making use of the boutique studios at Cupcake and local parks and greens. They offer everything from early morning bootcamp to pilates and yoga, and spent months recruiting the most experienced and engaging local instructors. I've done classes with a few of their staff before at other venues, and always found them extremely positive and engaging. Best of all, the class sizes are small, topping out at around 12, and there's no fixed term contract.

If you want to check it out for yourself, Club C are doing FREE taster sessions all this week. Simply consult the timetable below, and give John a call on 0203 326 4986 to book your place.We guarantee you'll feel a little less run down, podgy and depressed when you do.

Cupcake Mum & Club C Studios

11 Heathmans Road

London

SW6 4TJ

New Year's Resolutions: Getting into shape in 2012

Happy New Year porky pies! Did you all have an indulgent Christmas? Every year, despite our best intentions, we always manage to overdo it during the festive season. There are the parties, the mince pies, and plenty of bubbly... not to mention days worth of gluttonous dinners, cheese, wine and pudding. So it's pretty unsurprising that fitness and weight loss seem to top the New Year's resolution list each year. Along with quitting smoking, becoming less profligate with money and generally being a nicer person... but I'm afraid we can't help you with that!

So here is our local guide for getting yourself lean, fit and healthy in 2012. Whether you love to break a sweat, or gradually tease yourself into shape, the borough will have something for you.



Judging by the crowds itching to get into local nightspots, I'd hazard a guess that us Fulhamites are fairly fond of a boogie. Zumba is a really fun way to dance yourself lean and healthy, and classes with the amazingly enthusiastic Rebecca Rogoff of ZumbaFunk London are more fun than most. The classes are held at the studio at Eddie Catz, Putney in a small, friendly group, and I promise you'll leave with a grin on your face. Even if you can't get certain Shakira songs out of your head for days afterwards. Full review here.

ZumbaFunk @ Eddie Catz. Monday's 7pm
68-70 Putney High Street
London SW15 1SF





We've blogged about the gorgeous studios at Cupcake Mum before, but with the addition of Club C and the amazing personal training services of The Body Professionals, they've really upped their offering for young professionals (sans kiddies) too. Sarah and I were raving about our session with Gen of The Body Professionals for ages afterwards. She really took the time to get to know us, our goals, and -unfortunately- our wobbly bits, before creating a bespoke workout that is easily recreated wherever you happen to be working out. She's incredibly upbeat and her enthusiasm is infectious - she's even got me regularly using the rowing machine, previously my absolute nemesis. Full review here.

The Body Professionals @ Cupcake Mum
11 Heathmans Road
Parsons Green, London SW6 4TJ





You may associate boxing with burley men and black eyes, but I promise one session at the Sands End Ladies ABC will change that. Set up by two local ladies, and part of the Mayor of London's FREESPORT programme, classes are totally free and take place at the sports hall at Hurlingham and Chelsea School. The sessions are non-contact (the emphasis is on self-defence, awareness, fitness and being quick on your feet), the group incredibly friendly, and the coaches hugely encouraging. And my goodness - it is quite a workout. After learning the various types of jabs and blocks, you'll be put through your paces on a floor routine of crunches, squats and stretches that will make the muscles burn, but in a good way! Full review here.

Sands End Ladies ABC. 2-3:30pm Saturdays.
Hurlingham and Chelsea School
Peterborough Road, London SW6 3ED
*Please see Sands End Ladies ABC website for more session details, as some classes may take place at a different venue whilst refurbishment works take place at H&C School.





There are about one million variants of yoga, by my best estimates anyway, but for a strand that stretches both body and mind you should definitely check out Power Yoga. Luckily for us, Parsons Green plays host to London's first power yoga studio. Set in a beautiful old glass works on Lettice St - all exposed floorboards and brickwork, large victorian windows, candles and incense - this practice is fast moving and dynamic, and you'll definitely break a sweat. With emphasis on strength, balance, endurance and flexibility, Power Yoga is a great fusion between a traditional cardio workout and the more holistic benefits of yoga practice. Full review here.

The Power Yoga Company
The Glasshouse, 11-12 Lettice Street
London SW6 4EH






Safari Kickboxing will give you a hard-hitting work out that is both social, effective and educational. Men's and women's classes are held separately, so you can let you guard down and forget about how you look, and a whole range of levels are made really welcome. Not only will you punch your way to Mobama's triceps, and kick your thighs down a size, you'll learn some pretty useful lessons in self-defence and have a lot of fun.
Full review here.

Safari Kickboxing
347 North End Road
SW6 1NN




For those of you who prefer a bit of personal attention, and to work out in the lap of luxury, Karl of Williams ¦ De Vera may just be your man. Karl offers a bespoke personal training service that promises incredibly time-efficient results, as he places emphasis on correct technique and metabolic training methods to help you get the same results from half an hour as you would have done 60 minutes. His holistic approach means you'll go away armed with nutritional advice, and a between-class exercise regime to keep you on the straight and narrow. Since our last review Karl has expanded his business and set up his own gym in Brook Green, so keep an eye out as the service continues to get bigger and better. You can contact Karl via Twitter on @karlWDV
Full review here. Please note, Karl no longer trains at 37degrees and M.A.D.E PT is now registered as Williams ¦ De Vera.





Just because it's technically yoga, don't be fooled into thinking that Bikram is an easy way to get in shape. Much endorsed by celebrities and professional sportsmen alike, this 90 minute practice essentially takes place in a sauna, and you are guaranteed to sweat by the bucket load! The heated room really allows you to go deeper into the postures, meaning your flexibility is rapidly enhanced, whilst you strengthen, tone and detoxify and leave the room feeling awesome. Full review here.

Hot Bikram Yoga (Parsons Green studio)
25 Heathmans Road
London SW6 4TJ






If you're looking for a workout guaranteed to make the muscles burn, and an encouraging but uncompromising task master, Nick Finney will be the man to take you from squishy to svelte. With some celebrity clients and a hole host of flexible workout options, from individual to group sessions in SW6, weight lifting training and boot camp classes in Hyde Park, Nick's routines are simple and effective, so you'll definitely be able to train between sessions as well: willpower permitting. Full review and Nick's top tips here.




For the discerning yogi, a class at Manuka, with its elegant little studio and tiny class sizes, may be just the thing. Situated just underneath their Parsons Green store, where you can pick up some pretty stylish and comfortable workout gear, there is a full timetable of Hatha and Vinyasa yoga. Our class comprised of just three people, meaning you get plenty of personal attention, and the studio is low lit and luxurious - you even get free green tea at the end! Full review here.

Manuka Yoga
275 New Kings Road
London SW6 4RD




If pilates can be said to be responsible for P.Middy's bottom, it's definitely worth giving a go. And you might as well do it in surroundings fit for a princess (almost). Bootcamp Pilates boasts a small but incredibly sleek studio with top of the range Reformer machines and small class sizes. Based around strengthening and toning without putting too much pressure on the joints, the practice is perfect if you are going for the long and lean look. Classes at Bootcamp seem positively luxurious but you really feel the burn in your thighs and stomach afterwards, and judging by the svelte bodies surrounding me, it's a form of exercise that really gets results. Full review here.

Bootcamp Pilates
Marvic House, 30 Bishops Road
London SW6 7AD

So there you have it - now there really is no excuse not to keep it healthy, and keep it local, in 2012. Let us know where you end up!

Getting into the fighting spirit

Fitness can be fun, and fitness can be a chore. Sarah and I have been lucky enough to try out a multitude of classes across SW6, from bikram yoga to tabata training, but I've always found that trying a new class is the best motivator to get my body moving. So when I heard about Safari Kickboxing, I leapt at the chance to get fighting fit, whilst trying my hand at something different.

Safari Kickboxing is run by husband and wife duo Karim and Khadija Safari. Tucked away in a discrete location in a shopping centre on the North End Road, the studio is surprisingly spacious and offers total privacy from prying eyes - perfect for those of us who haven't quite 'mastered' the moves yet! Classes are single sex, which serves a multitude of purposes. Kickboxing competitions are traditionally run in different weight classes, and seeing as some of the kicks and punches are given with force, even in training, I for one was very glad some muscle-bound fellow wasn't throwing his fists at me! More importantly, it sets a supportive and relaxed tone which attracts a multitude of ages, shapes and cultures to train in a way in which they feel comfortable.

Khadijah is a very engaging and motivating teacher who has evidently built an excellent rapport with her students, many of whom are regulars. But kind and chatty as she is, she will work you hard - my abs were still burning days later! We were taught a combination of "fight" sequences, combining blocks, dodges, jabs, punches, hooks, high kicks and stomach kicks. To up the ante repetitions were built in: one four part sequence was repeated once, twice, thrice and then up to 10 times! Khadijah makes sure to give everyone plenty of personal attention, as each of the moves is doubly effective when performed with the right positioning and posture, and keeping your guard is just as important as getting the moves right.

Kickboxing is not just about learning how to spar - there is a huge emphasis on gaining personal confidence but also fitness. The classes start with a healthy dose of skipping and we were guided through a series of squats, crunches, leg raises and abdominal exercises that, whilst challenging, are guaranteed to give you a six pack! For those real fitness freaks amongst you, or just gluttons for punishment, Safari also runs aptly named Cardio Killer sessions.

The classes are really accessible and welcoming. There's a range of ability within the group but both Khadijah and the other students are more than willing to take time to make sure you're doing the postures correctly and that you're enjoying yourself. You'll come out of the class exhausted, but most of the exercises can be dialled up or down according to your fitness levels - just know that you will be stretched! Though, no pain, no gain, right?

Safari Kickboxing
347 North End Road
SW6 1NN

Getting M.A.D.E

As much as Sarah and I love eating and drinking our way around SW6, all in the name of producing an excellent local blog of course, our supposed ‘altruism’ has been wreaking minor amounts of havoc on our waist lines. We’ve tried yoga, hell, I’ve even tried the Dukan (effective, but short-term and painfully dull), but with summer holidays approaching, it was really time to bring in the big guns.

And what big guns they were...  Ladies and Gents, let us introduce Karl Williams of M.A.D.E  (@MadePtLondon).

Karl offers a service that is bespoke and also pretty darn efficient. He’ll assess your diet, lifestyle, objectives and body fat ratio and his 30 minute sessions use abbreviated metabolic training to make sure you get the same results as you would from a full hour – whilst you retain an extra half hour of your social life! He is also a big believer in getting the techniques right, as there’s no point congratulating yourself on your 100^th squat if the way you’re squatting has made them all only 10% as effective as they could be! He also whole heartedly believes in the importance of building a community to help people achieve their goals. M.A.D.E aims to offer online services and hubs that help people share their achievements, top tips and motivate each other to make sure you keep on going, improving and surpassing your own expectations even when he isn’t there to stop you slipping!

When we met with Karl last weekend, he not only devised us a doubly efficient work-out regime but also gave a very educated, and diplomatic, analysis of our frankly shambolic food diaries from the previous week. Glossing over the several flapjacks, cocktails and total lack of vitamin C (it was a tough week in the office, OK!) Karl explained a little more about his philosophy towards food. He encouraged us to work with what we’re all already doing, and avoid absolutes. If someone is a total coffee fiend, there’s no point banning it completely, as it simply won’t happen, and they’ll get demoralised. Naturally, I have since gratefully applied this principle to my abhorrently large chocolate intake. He believes everybody is different and so you’ll need to experiment with your diet and find what works for you – hence our food and mood diary. That said, he’s a firm believer that the modern diet simply doesn’t work with the way our bodies were designed. The original human (and sadly, we don’t seem to have evolved much since) was designed to eat meat, fish and vegetables. Refined carbs like white pasta and white bread are harder to digest and hence lead to sluggishness and weight gain. Still, not all carbs are bad, and my favourite sweet potatoes were given a thumbs up (thank god!)

Diets and philosophy well analysed, we moved onto our introductory training session. Karl invited us to train at the wonderful 37 Degrees club in Kensington Olympia, and after an introductory tour filled with loads of oohs and aaahs (they have a sweet roof terrace which has been used to film many ads) we got to see just how efficient one half hour could be...

...The answer, for all you gym marathon loving sceptics, is pretty bloody efficient. The abbreviated metabolic training method means you do not stop! Whilst you rest your legs you’re pumping iron with your “guns” (*ahem* bingo wings) and whilst you’re not lifting barbells, doing planks and impersonating Usain Bolt on the cables, Karl will have you doing squats, the dreaded burpees (guys there is no escape, we really did beg!) and step ups. He also introduced us to a fairly ruthless Japanese method of interval training, called tabata, which involves working at a well-enforced 100% on the cycling machine for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds gentle cycling, repeated four times. This may sound short, but even the resident “Spinning Queen” Sarah admitted she found it quite a struggle. All I’ll say is, if there was ever a way to maximise your workout in the shortest amount of time possible, tabata is it! The net result is, your heart rate is raised (in my case, verging on cardiac arrest) very consistently for the whole half hour, even when you are “resting” one part of your body. Half an hour was definitely enough to wash away the sins of a chocolate-flapjack breakfast (told you the food diary was dire) and a little more –Sarah are I were very grateful for the steam room and pool at 37 degrees afterwards!

The best news is, initial consultations with Karl are free (for the ladies, the next best news is that Karl is pretty easy on the eye). Karl really does place emphasis on the bespoke elements of his programme and so we heartily encourage you to find out what he can do for you. He’s totally accessible, and always available to his clients via email to give extra advice, motivation and tips: everything from how to negotiate the breakfast buffet on your next holiday to “Help! I need something I can do at home to get rid of my bingo wings!” (guilty!). We reckon we’ve found a real gem here, so we’ll definitely be going back.

Namaste P.Green!

With summer basically already here and holiday season also well underway, Sarah and I decided it was time to stop using the blog as an excuse to drink and eat constantly and see what the area had to offer in terms of stripping off a little excess 'wobble'! We both try our best to hit the gym regularly but had realised we weren't really flying the local flag in our exercise choices. So, as part of our new local 'sweat and tone' SW6southwestsix initiative, we were pretty smug when we stumbled across Manuka, on the New Kings Road.

Those of you who have already discovered your inner yogis might recognise Manuka as the brand that has been selling yoga and pilates gear in John Lewis (and many other retailers) for the past few years, and their products have developed a healthy following. Sarah and I were fairly oblivious to all this (I'm a bit more  Primarni than Peter Jones) but we were drawn to the shop for it's simple but comfortable designs. Everything looked easy to wear and flattering and the fabrics were soft to the touch. I also love anything with an eye catching layout, and the mannequin in the window doing gymnastics in a suspended hula hoop certainly got my attention!

Manuka's flagship store at 275 New Kings Road also offers yoga and meditation classes (timetable at the bottom of this post) and so we decided it was time to discover a little local inner Zen and signed up for an hour's class. Like I say, I do try to exercise regularly but I must preface this post by saying that I have always been hideously inflexible - even my Grandmother can touch her toes, but I seem to have stretch and physical range of an ailing elephant. Hence, I've always found yoga it's own slow, aching, special kind of torture and only remotely considered it after reading in the Daily Mail (don't judge!) that Gisele Bunchden does it daily!

However, I can honestly say that whilst I still ached and strained throughout the class, this time I really enjoyed it. Manuka's studio is small, softly lit and intimate - Sarah and I's class only had one other participant. All the products, from the mats to the seating blocks (actually plush thickly stuffed cushions) and stretchy bands felt pretty upmarket and the relaxing playlist hit all the right notes. Colby, our teacher for the class (you can follow her on Twitter at @kineticlondon), was hugely upbeat and enthusiastic about all the benefits of yoga, and she was constantly on her feet correcting our postures and encouraging us to stretch that little bit further. She was really involved, totally down to earth, oozed personality and made the class really fun. It all meant that I got so much more out of it than I have when I've tried yoga before and I definitely found myself stretching more - even during those painful 'hip opener' exercises! Previously I have found yoga classes all too serious (and perhaps a little preachy on the whole accompanying philosophy thing) but Colby was great on explaining the physiological benefits, which do all make sense - I even found myself Ohhmming without feeling too silly!

Anyway, we left feeling really relaxed, a little longer, a little leaner and totally refreshed - we even skipped the planned recovery glass of wine in the White Horse (very virtuous), and picked up a few Manuka products to get our little yoga bunny on back at home. I thought the yoga towel (a thinner textured yoga mat) was really cute (great colours too, with good grip) and the wooden massage roller and eco hand massage balls came home with me too. A percentage of profits from everything in the Manuka eco range go to help plant clean bio-fuel producing Jatropha trees in Mozambique (and Manuka currently has a sale on!) so all these gains were totally guilt free!

Whilst the classes at Manuka certainly aren't bargain basement, I think paying a little extra for the smaller class size, the extra attention, and the beautiful, relaxing surroundings is definitely worthwhile. Yoga is all about relaxing, getting the postures right and coming out feeling stretched yet totally content, so I think all those things really count to getting the most from the experience - at least, it really made a difference for me. I'll definitely be going again - Gisele Bunchden watch your back!