Hi and welcome to another week,
Thanks for getting along to Round 1 last week. Had some awesome classes running – and whilst my promise that there would be ‘fewer’ push-ups may not have exactly seemed to be true, I have gone back and added them up and if you did five (5) classes in each of the last two weeks AND completed the performance option in every session, you would have actually done 14 FEWER push-ups last week than you did the week before. So technically it was not a ‘LIE’ when I said in the blog last week there would be few push-ups in the classes than there was the week before. To be sure, there was not a LOT less push-ups, but there was LESS push-ups…and that’s what is really important! J
This week we have an interrupted week with the Australia Day holiday on THURSDAY. So, here is what is happening Thursday:
7:15am – Boxing – ONE MINUTE ROUNDS
8:15am – Boxing – ONE MINUTE ROUNDS
9:15am – NO RULES – Australia Day SPECIAL
10:30am – CLOSED
Our experience with Australia Day over the last three years is that the gym is very busy early but essentially deserted from 9am onwards so we are trying to (like we did at Christmas) is structure our sessions to fit in with the majority of people whilst still allowing staff to spend some time with friends and family, attend the ‘regulation’ Oz Day bbq’s etc.
So – the rest of this blog is dedicated to 28-Days Later. I will be truthful – I really (really) would love to see everyone doing it. I can hear the cynical response now that ‘sure – because you want us all to pay an extra $50 to come to the gym’ and whilst I guess I can understand why people would think that way, I hope you all know me a lot better than that by now. I also hope you might all understand that putting the challenges together – particularly THIS challenge – is not a trivial exercise and one that we undertake because we honestly believe it can HELP people achieve a fitter, healthier version of themselves.
Why I DO the 28-days Later Challenge
Just like you guys I pay my money and participate in the challenge. I pay up because I have discovered that the commitment of the $ really helps keep me on track…probably says some things about my psychological make-up that I would rather not publicise BUT that’s what I do. The thing about the challenge is even though I KNOW what I should and shouldn’t do/should and shouldn’t EAT/Drink, as time go by little ‘habits’ start to sneak into my life. Slowly, I add more and more products with sweeteners into my diet. I allow myself a beer or wine during the week. I have ice-cream after dinner…and because I have a lot of years of bad habits to fight against, once (for example) I have had ice-cream after dinner a couple of times within a week, my brain (in its evil way) decides I should be allowed to do that every single day. The challenge brings all of that nonsense to a screaming halt and I begin to understand what ‘moderation’ really means when it comes to what I eat and drink.
What the challenge is ‘LIKE’ or ‘How I Feel on the challenge’
I have seen little segments like this broken up that give you a day-by-day breakdown of how you feel when you give up sugar. Suffice to say, in the short term, the reality is you probably wont feel great. This next little bit summarises how my month usually progresses and in talking to (a lot) of other people what happens to me is not all that uncommon.
The first week is really, really hard. I always find out pretty quickly that I have let my meal preparation/organisation slip and find myself in the ‘there is nothing in the house I am allowed to eat’ boat one or two times early in the month. I tend to turn this around pretty quickly and make sure I have ‘stuff’ I can eat (sugar free tuna and salad, some boiled eggs and salad) in the cupboard/fridge and ready to go. I am not a food planner in the way that many other people are, but you definitely need to go to bed on Sunday night with a ‘plan’ as to how you are going to get through the working week, eating well AND sticking to the rules. I guess I am saying that being prepared is the key – do your version of this whatever that is…if it is pre-packing lunch boxes, do that. If it is more like me and just ‘making sure’ you have ‘stuff’ there, do that. Being prepared is the key though.
Week 1 is also when I feel amazing – then terrible – then tired – then amazing – then terrible and all inside 15 minutes. There is kind of no getting around this – if you eat a lot of sugar before the challenge (either accidentally or ‘on purpose’) then you are going to suffer some kind of reaction from your body. Even if you don’t eat ‘any’ sugar or processed food pre-challenge, I still think you are going to suffer a bit…don’t stress about it though. Once you get to about the 10-12 day mark everything will have ‘evened out’ and you will actually feel pretty good. It normally means (for me) I am just more alert and energetic throughout the day – I can train harder AND get more work done…the trouble is of course you need to battle through the first week or so really sticking TIGHT to the rules to get to this point.
It is usually in that week 3 type of time-frame – around day 18-20 or so – that I can usually notice a difference in the way I look. Not massive but I usually lose a couple of kilos on the challenge and it seems to be around this time that it becomes noticeable. Usually this is enough to give me a bit of a ‘second wind’ to get through to the end…one month doesn’t sound like a long time but there are going to be times when it is tough and you want to give into temptation. Whatever you do, don’t keep your favourite ice-cream (or beer!) in the house whilst you are trying to do the challenge. You will find your sense of taste changes a bit as you go through the month as well so be prepared for that – I know for me I find that ‘extreme’ tastes (either sweet or hot) become pretty hard to tolerate as the month goes on and that a small amount of seasoning on my steak is more that enough…I don’t know how to describe this any better but you might find that the food you are craving the most whilst the challenge is on ends up being a massive disappointment when it is ‘over’ because you know longer appreciate the taste elements of that food that made you crave it…pizza is a good example of a food people have noted this experience with in the past.
What I eat on the 28-days Later Challenge
Yes – if you sign up you will get the recipes and survival guide and all of that stuff, but in the mean-time, here is what I am thinking about as the start draws closer…after all, we all need to start getting our heads ready for this!
That’s it. Well – sort of. The links to the Challenge registration together with the ‘rules’ video (don’t forget, we’re STREAKING!) and the ‘extras’ video that details what the cardio challenge, strength challenge and hybrid challenge are each week are in the 28-days Later section of this document (just below this)….
Get stuck into the challenge – I really hope as many people as possible give it a crack and get themselves to the end…you will find out a lot about yourself, your eating habits and your ability to just persist.
See you in the gym,
Michael.
Enough about 28-days Later already – but there are a few links you need to know about:
1/. Registration link: https://tms.ezfacility.com/OnlineRegistrations/Register.aspx?CompanyID=1214&GroupID=1763707
2/. Info Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIWZKH53O4M
3/. ‘Extras’ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD_44B9yFkE
Any questions about the challenge, please email me at info@round1fitness.com.au.
We are planning a Beach Workout for FEBRUARY 19th…so please put it in your diary. On that day (which is a Sunday), the gym will be CLOSED and we will be running a BEACH SESSION from 8:30am followed by a BEACH BBQ.
So, put the date in your calendars – we will be taking registrations for the day (and it will be members only) via the website once the registration stuff for 28-days Later is done.
Everyone who has been in the gym over the past couple of weeks would also be able to report that we have implemented a change in the way we initiate our sessions. This has caught a few people unawares so far – essentially, if you don’t have the daily warm-up done BEFORE the class starts, you will be asked to complete it before joining in with the session of the day. Now there are a few reasons we have gone this way:
1/. As per the feedback survey back in November, there was quite a bit of sentiment expressed about how long it takes to get classes going – one of the reasons being ‘time spent on warm-ups’.
2/. We do have a bit of an issue in that when classes start ‘late’, they also finish ‘late’. This causes conflict for parking spots, for locker space, for everything.
3/. Not warming up is simply NOT an option. For everyone who wants to just ‘jump straight it’ it is not a great idea. The classes are written as if you are ready to go when the bell goes – there will be strength work, sprint work, plyometrics from the start.
The new process – come in, read the white board, do the warm-ups, join the class – will be on trial until the END OF FEBRUARY. If you are mid-warm-up when the session starts (meaning when the class explanations and demonstrations start) you will be asked to find a group then FINISH your warm-up before joining in.
My advice is to do your warm-up as soon as you get to the gym – save the instructor demo’s time for putting your hand-wraps on – and make sure you are ready to go.
So there is a bit going on in the background and the implementation of our new SPARC trainers is getting closer day by day. It is pretty hard to put this article so far down the blog actually as I pretty much just want to scream this from the roof-tops…we are going to have an awesome new piece of cardio infrastructure in the gym that will allow us to simulate positive sprinting technique in our classes. There wont be one of them…there will be FIVE of them. They are going to make us better and will enable us – together with the assault bikes, ski-ergs and concept 2 rowers – to offer the most comprehensive cardio solutions within a group training environment anywhere….
Have a look at this video if you don’t believe me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LShtRkia7Qs&t=2s
Beach Fit is now in week #10 – not too far to the finish line. The workout rotation for Week#10 is as follows:
If you are following a ‘1-workout per week’ rhythm, you should do WORKOUT#10 this week.
If you are following a ‘3-workout per week’ rhythm, you should do WORKOUT#8, #9 and #10 this week.
Remember, whether you are on a 1x session per week cycle OR a 3x session per week cycle, it is finding the time to get your food prep done as well as actually DOING your Beach Blasts – as hard and heavy as you are able – as signing up for the program doesn’t make the difference – DOING the workouts makes the difference.
Food Matters blog is still on hold whilst the 28-days later booklet is assembled and finalised…apologies again but putting together 30x new recipes (along with the rest of the 28-days later ‘packs’) is proving way (way) more challenging than I remember it being last year!
Regular transmissions will recommence!
Whole 30 meal prep ideas: http://www.thekitchn.com/what-i-prep-on-sunday-for-whole30-meals-227075
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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