Hi and welcome to another week,
Just like I thought I would, I just loved the power-ropes last week. In fact, that Tuesday class with the power-rope bunny hops to bikes to toe-tap bicep curls was just 6-minutes of cardio hell! Then there was the ‘everyone to a bag’ torture session on Friday during which I managed to get my peak hr up to 222 (I think during the second bin run)…pretty happy with that!
This week we have a couple of nice surprises – including a really nice cardio mix on Tuesday – as well as the re-introduction of Turkish Get-ups in Body Work and a ‘relentless’ 4-minute rounds class on Wednesday. Should be a great week!
We have been getting a lot of enquiries and questions lately from people – both members and first timers – who are talking to us about ‘toning’ their muscles – but they don’t want to ‘bulk up’. And it is really beginning to drive me crazy. Why? Because I seriously cannot figure out what it means – you can either build muscle or lose fat (or both) or stay as you already are – but you simply cannot take what you have and make it ‘toned’…it just doesn’t work that way. I can only assume by saying ‘toned’ people are saying that they want to become ‘leaner’ with some muscle definition – which is fine. But you cannot get that without BUILDING muscle. And this means you need to lift weights that will make you feel uncomfortable, that will cause your body to react to the stress and build MORE muscle to assist with that same level of lifting in the future.
And girls, I know lots of you are concerned about getting ‘bulky’ and looking like a man. But that is not going to happen with high reps of low weights like we do in the Boxing classes. Those sessions are really about ‘cardio weights’ – we are doing high reps (minimum of 10 usually) of light weights. Sure, if you are doing regular TANKS and Body Work classes and following a dedicated weights program 2-3 times per week you might get to the point of get some serious muscle definition – but if you are a girl that means you will look like this – http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/10-seriously-fit-chicks-crossfit. Unless of course you start injecting yourself with testosterone…only then is looking like this a real chance.
Further, telling me at the end of a class that you wanted to do ‘more abs’ because your goal is to lose the layer of fat covering your ab muscles? Well, it doesn’t work that way either. Situps wont shift the fat – the interval training that made up the previous 45-minutes of the class will do that…so spend less time resting in between exercises (leave your gloves ON!!!) and when the bell rings, go hell for leather. Don’t chat to the person next to you or save yourself for the next round – go hard NOW. And as an aside, if you want to do some more abs after the class is over – great idea! Grab an ab wheel, use the GHD, use the back extension, grab a medicine ball…whatever you need, grab it and get started!
Let me put all of this another way. Whenever you are training you need to set aside images and visions of getting ‘toned’. It is a nice, inoffensive ‘marketing’ word that I am convinced has been invented to sell personal training sessions and memberships at nice, inoffensive gyms. When you are training, you need to be thinking about working hard, hitting as hard as possible, riding as fast as possible and lifting the heaviest weights you can at least one time more than you did the last time you tried it. If you want the results you SAY you want, then you are going to have to bust your butt to get them.
Oh yeah – and if you are truly training as hard as you can (and getting in 4 sessions every week) and you are STILL not getting results…then come and see us. If you have your training right then there must be something in your diet that is holding you back and we would love to help you with that as well.
See you in the gym,
Michael.
This next piece is a cut/paste from last weeks blog and is telling you that the 12-month membership price will be going up by around $1.25 per week from February 1st. Read on for details of all of our membership types and costs of each one:
| Membership Type | Current Pricing | New Pricing |
‘SUPER’ Membership
Total Package Value: $1945 – Save $595! |
$1350 (if paid up front)
$120 (if paid monthly) |
No Change |
‘Premium’ Membership
Total Package Value: $1507 – Save $337!! |
$1170 (if paid ‘up front’)
$97.50 (if paid monthly) |
No Change |
12-month Membership
Total Package Value: $805 – Save $90. |
$650 (if paid ‘up front’)
$59 (if paid monthly) |
$715 (if paid ‘up front’)
$65 (if paid monthly) |
6-Month Membership
|
$450 (if paid ‘up front)
$82.50 (if paid monthly) |
No Change |
3-Month Membership
|
$250 (if paid ‘up front’)
$96.25 (if paid monthly) |
No Change |
1-Month Membership
|
$110 | No Change |
Why have we done it? We are basically just trying to keep up with our costs – and as I have stated ensuring that R1F is a sustainable business is a key plank of our business goals for 2013. We have posted small losses in each of the past two financial years and whilst our gym is busy our increasing rent / power / rates AND our commitment to ensure that there are two trainers supervising each session conducted at 5pm/6pm/7pm and 8pm Monday to Friday really has driven our costs upwards in the last 18 months.
Before making this decision, I did a quick comparison to some other local gyms – and found our nearest competitor (price wise) is a certain 24×7 gym with a Red logo on Beeliar Drive. Costs there? $11.95 / week + an ‘Access Fee’ of $103 – or $724 per annum. The same package at R1 will cost $715 (if you pay up front) or $780 paid in either fortnightly or monthly instalments. Given we run 60+ sessions per week – and a new class every day – and this competitor runs none, I still believe we are offering the best value for money available. In any case, I hope you are able to understand the reasons for the change and believe that the additional $6 per month (just under 10%) still represents great value for money.
There will (obviously) be no impact on any current contracts until renewal time.
As a follow-up to our Healthy Eating Seminar with Helen Frost back in November, we will be running another of these workshops at the gym on Sunday February 17th. Helen will be revising the content somewhat so that people who came along back in November will still have the opportunity to pick up a few new things – whilst also targeting the message so that first timers will get a lot of value.
Once again, the cost will be free. Once again, it will be open to members and non-members alike. And once again I really need you to bring your own chairs!
The Bootcamp was run and won on Saturday morning at C.Y. O’Connor beach. Congratulations to everyone who had a go and I hope you all had a great time. The date for the February Bootcamp (which will be held on a SUNDAY) will be announced in next weeks blog.
We will be running a 4-week ‘Beginners Workshop’ commencing on Saturday February 2nd at 09:30am. The sessions have been scheduled to run each Saturday in February and each session will run for just over 1 hour. The course will be limited to 8 attendees and cost will be $89 per person (inc. GST). It is open to both members and non-members.
Basic agenda?
Week 1 – Punching basics (stance, jabs) + some simple barbell, kettlebell and bodyweight moves.
Week 2 – Punching extended (hooks and uppercuts), burpees + some extended barbells and kettlebells.
Week 3 – Boxing – simple footwork and combinations + speedball and some dumbell basics.
Week 4 – Boxing – Conditioning drills, more speedball + chinups and abs.
Please note that the focus of these sessions will be on technique and NOT on fitness. The sessions have been timed so that at the conclusion of the course those people who are interested could follow up the course by jumping into the 11:15am Beginners class and have a go at applying their newly gleaned knowledge!
If you are interested in trying to do things a little bit better or developing some understanding about what each exercise is working etc then this might be just the thing for you. Numbers are limited to 8 people which is intended to enable each attendee to get some close attention from the trainers.
Now powered by Juice Plus+, Round 1 Fitness is repeating the pre-Christmas JP+ offer – sign-up for JP+ Premium (Fruits + Veg + Berries) during January and receive 1-months free gym membership. That is $110 worth of value at no cost when you sign up for JP+ – a terrific deal.
If you are struggling with your diet and battling to get the 2 fruit/5 (cups of) veggies that the government recommends as part of their ‘Healthy and Active Australia’ campaign (http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/) then JP+ is a terrific way to bridge the gap + more – forget 2&5 – JP+ contains more than 17 different types of Fruit and Veg and you take it in capsule form – the only preparation needed is to get a glass of water!
A couple of things guys. There are several bins in the gym for rubbish – but the Green Wheelie bins that are quite obviously filled with sandbags and power-ropes are not for rubbish. I am finding more and more stuff jammed in to those bins, including chewies being stuck under the lids – which is completely gross. Now – despite these storage bins getting used as extra rubbish bins there are still heaps of Power-Ade lids/foil caps and the little plastic lids from the water bottles being left all over the floor. Please show some respect for the people who will be participating in the next class and put your rubbish in bin.
What seems like one million photos from the bootcamp and paintball events could be found on Facebook this week – along with the following links:
A rant for girls who don’t work-out: http://grablifebythebells.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/rant-for-chics-who-dont-workout.html?spref=tw
V Adventure Race: http://www.vadventurerace.com.au/
Embrace discomfort: http://www.nogym.net/how-to-embrace-discomfort/
The real reason we eat too much: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2255442/The-REAL-reason-eat-New-theory-revolutionise-way-lose-weight.html
Ray Lewis’ amazing career with the Ravens will end either tonight in the AFC Championship game or next week in the SuperBowl…meanwhile, here is sharing his message about achievement through hard work, discipline and persistence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oidVxMJdUo
See you in the gym!
Michael.
We know this can be a daunting time. You’re probably wondering if we really are the right fit for each other. And it’s OK! Many people before you, have felt the same, and that’s why we want to offer you something special – our $29 Health Check.
Let’s work out together to see if we’re the right fit. Just hit the button below to let me know if you’re ready to see what’s included.
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